Eriphia verrucosa Forskall, 1755

Eriphia verrucosa imageSynonyms: E. spinifrons Rathke 1837; Czerniavsky 1884, Zernov 1913; E. verrucosa, Holthuis a. Gottlieb 1958

Common names: Bulg: Pagurt; Rom: Pagurie; Russ: Kameny krab; Turk: Pavurya; Ukr: Kam'yany krab

Order: DECAPODA

Family: XANTHIDAE

Taxonomic descriptions: Carapace thick, its upper face slightly convex, smooth, and with transverse granulous ridges behind the frontal border and on the lateral regions. Antero- lateral borders shorter than the postero-lateral ones, and armed with 7 tooth-like protrusions, the first ones of which bear secondary lateral spinules, while the last ones are reduced. Front broad, indented in the middle: each frontal lobe is armed with a comb of 5 or 6 teeth; a little behind this is a second, parallel comb consisting of 4 to 5 teeth. Orbits almost circular, their lower border denticulated. Chelipeds strong and unequal; the larger one generally bears rounded tubercles in front of the upper articulation with the carpus; the smaller one bears numerous sharper tubercles arranged in lines. Black fingers; the movable finger with a strong obtuse tooth and some smaller; unmovable finger with subtriangular teeth. The pereiopods with strong hairs, rare, without spines. Female with a large abdomen, oval. Male with narrow abdomen. Large-size species. Length: 6.5-7 cm; width: 8-9 cm; colour: brownish-red or brownish-green, with yellow spots.

Eriphia verrucosa arealIUCN Status:
    World level:
    Black Sea Regional level:
    Subregion level: EN

Distribution:

Habitats type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors: Shallow waters along rocky coasts living among stones and seaweeds, to 5-15 m depths. Favorite biotop: stony grounds. Present throughout the Mediterranean Sea, also in the eastern Atlantic from the southern coast of Brittany to Mauritania and the Azores. Terrigenous pollution, hard frost, hypoxia.

Biology: Species with a high prolificity Reproduction begins in May - June. In spring it makes migrations in the shallow waters under 1 m in depth. Planktonic larvae with 4 metamorphosis stages from zoe to megalope. Eats molluscs, polychaetes.

Population trends: Frequent in the past it became very rare after the 1980s; at present no specimens can be found.

Threats: Eutrophication (hypoxia caused by phytoplankton blooms), pollution.

Conservation measures taken: Included in the Ukrainian Red Data Book, 1994.

Conservation measures proposed: To prohibit catching by people for food consumption.

References:

  1. Borcea I., 1926 - Note sur quelques crabes de rivage du littoral Roumain. Ann. Sc. Univ. Jassy, XIV: 140.
  2. Borcea I. 1926 - Donnees sommaires sur la faune de la Mer Noire (littoral de Roumanie). Ann. Sc. Univ. Jassy, XIV: 536-583.
  3. Borcea I. 1931 - Action du froid sur la faune littoral de la Mer Noire. Ann. Sc. Univ. Jassy XVI:751-759.
  4. Bacescu M, 1954 - The influence of the severe winter of 1954 on the Black Sea ecosystem and fisheries.( in Rom.) Bull. Ins. Cerc. P.S.C. 1954, 4: 5-12.
  5. Bacescu M., Dumitrescu E., Marcus A., Palladian G.et Mayer R., 1963 - Donnees quantitatives sur la faune petricole de la Mer Noire a Agigea (secteur Roumain) dans les conditions speciales de l’annee 1961. Trav. Hist. Nat. Gr. Antipa, IV, 131-153.
  6. Bacescu M., G.I. Muller., M-T Gomoiu, 1971 - Ecologie marina (Marine Ecology), IV:7-274.
  7. Gutu Modest, 1980 - Recent changes in the Decapod fauna of the Romanian Black Sea littoral. Trav. Mus. Hist. Nat “Gr. Antipa”, 21,103-110.
  8. Bulgurkov, K. 1938. Some fresh- and saltwater Decapoda from the vicinity of Varna and Sozopol. Tr. Chernomorskata Biol.Stantsia v Varna, N 7, pp. 88-103.
  9. Marinov, T. 1990. Zoobentosat ot balgarskia sector na Cherno more. BAN, pp. 195.
  10. Opredelitel fauni Chernogo i Azovskogo morei. 1969. Kiev, v.II, pp. 194-195.

Compiled by: C.Dumitrache., T.Konsulova