Scientific Name: Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
English Name: Blue Swimming Crab, Flower Crab, Bluey Swimming Crab, Blue Swimmer.
Local/Bangla Name: নীলাভ সাঁতারু কাঁকড়া (Nilav Shantaru Kakra), Santura kankra (সাঁতারু কাঁকড়া)
Labcode: C1910SM-02
Photo: ABR Lab
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Portunidae
Description:
The carapace of this crab is rough to granular, with distinct regions. The front of the carapace has 4 sharply triangular teeth. There are 9 teeth on each anterolateral margin, with the last tooth being 2 to 4 times larger than the preceding teeth. The chelae (claws) are elongated in males, with the larger chela having a conical tooth at the base of the fingers. The pollex (thumb) is ridged. Males have blue markings, while females are dull green.
Habitat & Distribution in Bangladesh:
Coasts of Cox’s Bazar, Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Sonadia, St. Martin’s and the Sundarbans areas
Environment:
Marine (Reef-associated), Brackish
Other References:
Ahmed ATA, Kabir SMH, Ahmad M, Rahman AKA, Haque EU, Ahmed ZU, Begum ZNT, Hassan MA, Khondker M (Eds.) (2008) Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 18. Part II. Arthropoda: Crustacea. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 226 pp
Uddin MS, Chowdhury SR, Rashed MR, Singha NK, Tazim MF, Mamun MAA, Mamun A, Rahman MM, Hasan ME (eds.) (2022) Album: Marine and Coastal Fishes of Bangladesh, Department of Fisheries, Government of Bangladesh, 336 pp
