Brachyuran-crab
Guides
Pinnixa chaetopterana
tube pea crab
Pinnixa chaetopterana is a small, soft-bodied pea crab that lives symbiotically within the tubes of polychaete worms, primarily Chaetopterus variopedatus. It is a facultative commensal, occasionally free-living or associating with alternative hosts such as Amphitrite ornata. The species exhibits strong host fidelity and can distinguish conspecifics from heterospecifics. It ranges from Massachusetts to Uruguay along the western Atlantic, including Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico.
commensalsymbiosispolychaete-associationpea-crabwestern-Atlanticfacultative-symbiontcarcinonemertid-parasitehost-fidelityconspecific-recognitionzoeal-larvaetube-dwellingmarine-invertebratebrachyuran-crabpinnotheridChaetopteruszooplankton-larvamutual-intolerancepolychaete-crabnemertean-parasitesynchronous-reproduction-with-parasitecaltrop-shaped-carapacebranchial-chamber-parasitepleopod-egg-attachmenthost-tube-modificationestuarinecoastal-marinedepth-to-60mMassachusetts-to-BrazilGulf-of-MexicoFloridaNorth-CarolinaNew-JerseyUruguayStimpson-1860Tubicolixa-synonymsoft-bodied-crabwider-than-long-carapacefive-zoeal-stagesdorsal-rostral-lateral-spinesabdominal-somite-knobswing-like-knobsmedian-notch-telsonAmphitrite-ornata-alternative-hostposterior-positioning-behaviortube-aperture-bitingplankton-feedingpredator-refugeCarcinonemertes-pinnotheridophilaribbon-worm-parasitesynchronous-egg-developmenthost-parasite-egg-competitionbranchial-exoskeleton-attachmentexcurrent-canal-openingfemale-1-2-nemerteansmale-nemerteans-associatedmedial-sheath-attachmentsternum-openingnemertean-egg-sacscrab-egg-hairsfacultative-free-livingobligate-vs-facultate-commensalismhost-specificitysymbiont-recognitionheterospecific-avoidancelimb-tearing-aggressionco-occurrence-exclusionmorphological-crypsisadult-identification-difficultylarval-dispersalsettlement-behaviortube-worm-crabparchment-tube-inhabitantventilated-tube-dwellingwater-pumping-utilizationhost-turning-responsesymbiont-positioningentry-exit-hole-creationbehavioral-plasticityecological-flexibilityhost-range-expansionalternative-host-usegeographic-rangedepth-rangeAtlantic-coast-distributionwestern-hemisphere-endemicAmerican-Atlantic-faunabenthic-crustaceaninfaunal-associatesediment-tube-dwellermarine-symbiosisdecapod-brachyuraneubrachyuranthoracotremepinnotheroidpinnixinetubicolixinespecies-complex-membercryptic-species-candidatemorphological-similaritytaxonomic-revision-neededtype-locality-unknown1860-descriptionStimpson's-pea-crabhistorical-taxonomymodern-synonymyCatalogue-of-Life-synonymGBIF-Tubicolixa-matchgenus-transfer-candidatesubgeneric-classificationinfraspecific-variationsexual-dimorphism-unknownmale-gonopod-diagnosticfemale-pleopod-broodingovigerous-female-parasite-loadnemertean-prevalence-unknownincidence-data-limitedbiological-relationship-documentationsymbiont-life-history-synchronizationreproductive-timing-overlapegg-development-coordinationhatching-synchronylarval-release-coordinationpopulation-dynamics-unknowndemography-unstudiedgrowth-rate-unknownlongevity-unknownmortality-factors-unknownpredation-pressurepredator-avoidancetube-refuge-valuestructural-habitat-modificationengineering-behaviorniche-constructionhost-damagetube-wall-perforationhost-fitness-effects-unknowncommensalism-cost-benefitmutualism-possibilityparasitism-gradientsymbiosis-continuuminteraction-outcome-variabilityenvironmental-context-dependencyhost-quality-variationhost-size-correlationcrab-size-host-size-relationshipsettlement-cue-unknownlarval-settlement-behaviormetamorphosis-triggercompetency-periodpre-settlement-swimmingpost-settlement-adaptationhost-recognition-mechanismchemical-cue-usetactile-cue-usehost-tube-chemistry-detectionconspecific-chemical-detectionheterospecific-chemical-detectionaggression-triggerterritorial-behaviorresource-defensehost-monopolizationpair-formationmating-system-unknownsex-ratio-unknownoperational-sex-ratiomate-guarding-unknownsperm-competition-unknownfertilization-modeinternal-fertilizationegg-brooding-durationembryonic-development-timelarval-development-modeplanktotrophic-larvaelecithotrophy-unknownzoeal-feedingzoeal-durationmegalopa-stage-unknownsettlement-competencejuvenile-adaptationhost-tube-colonizationsubadult-behaviorsize-at-maturity-unknownmolting-frequency-unknownecdysis-in-host-tubeexuvia-disposalgrooming-behavior-unknownfeeding-mechanismsuspension-feedingfilter-feedingplankton-capturehost-current-userespiratory-current-exploitationoxygen-availabilityhypoxia-tolerancesalinity-tolerancetemperature-range-unknownphysiological-ecology-studiedoxygen-consumption-unknownmetabolic-rate-unknownenergetics-unknowngrowth-efficiency-unknownreproductive-effort-unknownfecundity-unknownegg-size-unknownoffspring-size-number-tradeoffparental-investmentmaternal-carebrooding-costparasite-load-costnemertean-reproduction-facilitationhost-egg-lossparasite-egg-competitionhatching-success-reductionfitness-consequence-unknownpopulation-level-impact-unknowncommunity-role-unknowntrophic-position-unknownenergy-flow-contributionnutrient-cycling-rolesediment-interactionbioturbation-unknownecosystem-engineering-secondaryhabitat-complexity-contributionbiodiversity-associationspecies-interaction-networkfood-web-positionpredator-unknownprey-unknowndiet-breadthtrophic-levelomnivory-unknowncarnivory-unknowndetritivory-unknownsuspension-feeding-confirmedhost-food-waste-usepseudofeces-consumption-unknownhost-mucus-usehost-tissue-consumption-unknownparasitism-unknownkleptoparasitism-unknownthievery-unknownaggression-contextintraspecific-aggressioninterspecific-aggressionlimb-autotomyregeneration-unknownwound-healingstress-responsehandling-responselaboratory-maintenancecollection-methodpreservation-effectmuseum-specimen-qualitytype-specimen-locationoriginal-description-qualitysubsequent-redescriptionstaxonomic-stabilitynomenclatural-actspriority-ruleshomonymy-checksynonymy-list-completenessdistribution-record-verificationoccurrence-data-qualityrange-boundary-uncertaintydepth-record-accuracyhabitat-description-specificityhost-record-verificationassociation-record-qualitysymbiosis-documentation-standardnatural-history-completenessresearch-priority-areasconservation-status-unknownIUCN-evaluation-neededpopulation-trend-unknownthreat-assessmenthabitat-vulnerabilityclimate-sensitivityrange-shift-potentialphenology-changehost-phenology-dependencyphenological-mismatch-riskevolutionary-history-unknownphylogenetic-positionsister-species-unknownspecies-group-membershipgenetic-differentiationcryptic-diversity-potentialbarcode-library-coveragegenome-resourcestranscriptome-unknownproteome-unknownmetabolome-unknowndevelopmental-genetics-unknownsymbiosis-genetics-unknownhost-recognition-gene-unknownimmune-response-unknownparasite-resistance-unknowncoevolution-historyphylogeography-unknownpopulation-structure-unknowngene-flow-unknowndispersal-limitationisolation-by-distancelocal-adaptation-unknownphenotypic-plasticitymorphological-variationenvironmental-gradient-responsephenotypic-clinegenotype-environment-interactionevolutionary-potentialadaptive-capacityresilience-unknownextinction-risk-assessment-needed