| Description | The graceful rock crab or slender crab, Metacarcinus gracilis (the naming convention recognized by WoRMS) or Cancer gracilis (the naming convention recognized by ITIS), is one of only two members of the genus Metacarcinus, recognized by WoRMS, whose chelae (claws) are white tipped, the other crab being M. magister (Dungeness crab). Both of these eastern Pacific crab species are recognized by ITIS as belonging to the much larger genus Cancer. M. gracilis has been caught from Alaska to Bahía Magdelena, Baja California. Although M. gracilis is only found in the Pacific Ocean, it has cousins in the Atlantic Ocean. The genus Cancer (sensu lato) apparently evolved in the Pacific Ocean and later migrated to the Atlantic Ocean. Larvae and small juveniles of this species are often seen riding jellyfish, especially Phacellophora camtschatica. The juvenile crabs steal food from the jellyfish and also clean off parasitic amphipods.
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| Source Data | |
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| Rank | species |
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| Taxonomy (GBIF) | Life : Animalia : Arthropoda : Malacostraca : Decapoda : Cancridae : Metacarcinus : Metacarcinus gracilis |
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| Taxonomy (PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Arthropoda : Malacostraca : Decapoda : Cancridae : Metacarcinus : Metacarcinus gracilis |
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| Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | accepted |
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Classification
(PBDB,GBIF) | |
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| Generic Name | Metacarcinus |
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| Scientific Name | Metacarcinus gracilis Dana, 1852 |
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| Opinions (PBDB) | | Name | Rank | Opinion | Evidence | Author |
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| Metacarcinus gracilis | species | belongs to Metacarcinus | stated without evidence | Dana, 1852 |
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| Status (PBDB) | extant |
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| Taxon Size (PBDB) | 1 |
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| Extant Size (PBDB) | 1 (100%) |
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| First Recorded Appearance | 2.59 - 0.01 Ma
Pleistocene |
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| Motility | actively mobile (based on Malacostraca) |
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| Vision | well-developed (based on Malacostraca) |
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| Diet | carnivore (based on Decapoda) |
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| Taphonomy | chitin (based on Malacostraca) |
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| Primary Reference (PBDB) | C. E. Schweitzer, R. M. Feldmann, and A. Garassino, H. Karasawa, and G. Schweigert. 2010. Systematic list of fossil decapod crustacean species. Crustaceana Monographs 10:1-222 |
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| Common Name(s) | Crabe Gracile, Graceful Rock Crab, Hübscher Taschenkrebs, Graceful Crab |
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| Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacarcinus_gracilis |
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Metacarcinus gracilis
