Olivar's Squat Lobster

Trapezionida olivarae is a ten-legged species of squat lobsters from the Munididae family.

Description

Its body is red-to-orange with U-shaped pale white marking at mid-carapace, banded legs and claw arms. Legs and claws appear densely setose (hairy). It has large greenish white eyes close together with singlelong rostral spike. It is considered as false crab, it has a longer abdomen and the back legs are modified or reduced so hardly noticeable.

Distribution

Western Central Pacific from Indonesia to Australia and New Caledonia, also Japan.

Habitat

It is found in small holes often with just the head and arms exposed over shallow waters of coral and rocky reefs. Depth ranges from 2 to 20 m. It feeds on zooplankton.

Life cycle and mating behavior

Members of the order Decapoda are mostly gonochoric. Mating behavior: Precopulatory courtship ritual is common (through olfactory and tactile cues); usually indirect sperm transfer.