Image of grooved mussel crab

Description:

This ventral view shows the larger cluster of eggs carried on the abdomen, as is normal for Brachyuran crabs (and other members of Suborder Pleocyemata). I have not heard reports of other brachyuran crabs which have some of their eggs up in the gill chambers, as this individual does. Also, several references state that in gravid females the abdomen is wider than the carapace, but that is not true of this individual. Johnson and Snook (1955) state that the propodus has two rows of setae on the ventral side. The outer row extends to the base of the fixed finger while the inner row extends to the tip. Those rows can be seen here.