First record of the symbiotic crab Harrovia elegans De Man, 1887 from west coast of India

Pradip Kachhiya; Piyush Vadher; Imtiyaz Beleem

doi:10.17017/j.fish.996

Pradip Kachhiya Department of Zoology, Dr. Subhash University, Junagadh 362001, Gujarat, India
Piyush Vadher Fisheries Research Station, Kamdhenu University, Sikka 361140, Gujarat, India
Imtiyaz Beleem Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Mäealuse-14 12618 Tallinn, Estonia; Department of Life Sciences, Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University, Junagadh-362263, Gujarat, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17017/j.fish.996

Keywords: crinoid association, distribution, Gujarat, new record, Pilumnidae, taxonomy

Abstract

The present study documents the first record of the crinoid-associated brachyuran crab Harrovia elegans De Man, 1887 from dense beds of the feather star Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816) in tide pools within the intertidal zone of the Simbor Coast, Gujarat, India. Previously, H. elegans has been reported with different crinoid species from limited localities in Indian waters, including Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, typically at depths ranging from 5 to 200 meters. This report provides detailed morphological descriptions of H. elegans, along with information on its habitat preferences and regional distribution.

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