Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Paractaea rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834)
Paractaea is a genus of crabs in the family Xanthidae. Paractaea rufopunctata inhabit areas of Sand and Rubble. Found in intertidal and subtidal areas.
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Actaea rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Actaea rufopunctata rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Micropanope rufopunctata (A. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Paractaea rufopunctata rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (status change)
Paractaea rufopunctata sanctaeluciae (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (unavailable name)
Xantho rufopunctatus H. Edwards, 1834 (basionym)
Direct children (9):
Subspecies Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (superseded combination)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. frontalis Serène, 1984 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. illusoria Guinot, 1969 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. intermedia Guinot, 1969 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. primarathbunae Guinot, 1969 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. sanctaeluciae Serène, 1984 accepted as Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. tertiarathbunae Guinot, 1969 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. waltersi Serène, 1984 accepted as Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Subspecies Paractaea rufopunctata plumosa Guinot in T. Sakai, 1976 accepted as Paractaea plumosa Guinot in T. Sakai, 1976 (superseded combination)
Paractaea is a genus of crabs in the family Xanthidae. Paractaea rufopunctata inhabit areas of Sand and Rubble. Found in intertidal and subtidal areas.
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Actaea rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Actaea rufopunctata rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Micropanope rufopunctata (A. Milne Edwards, 1834) (superseded combination)
Paractaea rufopunctata rufopunctata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (status change)
Paractaea rufopunctata sanctaeluciae (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) (unavailable name)
Xantho rufopunctatus H. Edwards, 1834 (basionym)
Direct children (9):
Subspecies Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (superseded combination)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. frontalis Serène, 1984 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. illusoria Guinot, 1969 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. intermedia Guinot, 1969 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. primarathbunae Guinot, 1969 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. sanctaeluciae Serène, 1984 accepted as Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. tertiarathbunae Guinot, 1969 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Forma Paractaea rufopunctata f. waltersi Serène, 1984 accepted as Paractaea rufopunctata africana Guinot, 1976 accepted as Paractaea africana Guinot, 1976 (unavailable name)
Subspecies Paractaea rufopunctata plumosa Guinot in T. Sakai, 1976 accepted as Paractaea plumosa Guinot in T. Sakai, 1976 (superseded combination)
