Revision of family Ocypodidae (Brachyura: Crustacea) from the Egyptian Red Sea and Mediterranean Coasts

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo

2 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo

3 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit Branch

Abstract

The present study revised taxonomy and occurrence of the ghost crabs (genus Ocypode) and fiddler crabs (genus Uca), belonging to family Ocypodidae collected from different localities of the Egyptian Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea coasts. A total of six species were collected, comprised three species of ghost crabs, represented by Ocypode cordimanus, O. cursor, and O. saratan and three species of fiddler crabs, including Uca albimana, U. inversa, and U. tetragonon. With the exception of Ocypode cursor which was only recorded from the Mediterranean Sea, all other five species were collected from the Red Sea. All species of Ocypode construct permanent burrows in the supralittoral sandy shores, while Uca species live in permanent burrows in the upper intertidal zone of mud-flats and sandy mud areas around and within mangrove swamps only. The present results showed also that, the fiddler crab, Uca albimana, was recorded for the first time from South Sinai mangroves at Nabq (Gulf of Aqaba) and Ras Mohammed (northern Red Sea), increased ocypodid fauna at the most northern portions of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. These results denote to the northward distribution of this species and recommend re-investigating all Uca species collected previously from South Sinai, particularly U. inversa, deposited in all National Museum of Natural History of the world. Notes on habitats, color, size and geographical distribution, in addition to keys for identification were also given.

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