Ebalia tumefacta

Description

Ebalia tumefacta is a small, roughly diamond-shaped crab, with noticeably bulbous branchial regions. The carapace is wider than it is long, and has minute bumps, giving it a somewhat rough texture. It grows to about 12 mm long and 13 mm wide. The colouration varies greatly. Although some may have a variegated brown and black carapace, it usually ranges from reddish to greyish-white or yellowish-grey. Sometimes it may have red spots, and occasionally may contain an orange margin and a pale pink median band. The shell has a fine, granular texture. The arms are equal in length and the claws are roughly equal in size.

Distribution

This species is found from West Africa to Norway, and is especially common around the British Isles; it does not occur in the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat

Ebalia tumefacta lives in muddy sand and gravel at depths of 2 -.

References

References

1. Charles Fransen & Michael Türkay. (2012). "''Ebalia tumefacta'' (Montagu, 1808)".
2. "''Ebalia tumefacta''". Marine Species Identification Portal.
3. (2004). "Marine Fish & Invertebrates of Northern Europe". [[AquaPress]].
4. (1995). "Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-west Europe". [[Oxford University Press]].