Echinoid-symbiont
Guides
Dissodactylus
pea crab
Dissodactylus is a genus of pea crabs in the family Pinnotheridae, comprising at least 20 described species. Species in this genus are obligate ectosymbionts of echinoid hosts, primarily sand dollars. The genus shows geographic variation in larval development: Pacific species have four zoeal stages, while Atlantic species have three. Several species have been studied for their host-finding behaviors, which rely on chemical cues to locate specific echinoid hosts.