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The White-tipped mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii is a small crab, also known as the Zuiderzee crab or dwarf crab.
Its maximum size is 20 mm. It has an olive-green-brownish color. Some Rhithropanopeus harrisii have on their dark spots on dorsal surface of carapace. Rhitropanopeus harrisii has white tipped claws, which is where it got its nickname.
The White tipped mud crab is usually found in brackish water, but can be found in fresh water too. They like to live on stones and oyster beds. It is a common inhabitant of Texas and Florida estuaries, but was later introduced all over the world. It was first discovered in 1937 that Rhithropanopeus harrisii was invading the San Francisco Bay's brackish waters, and adjacent fresh waters of the Central Valley.
The female usually lays her eggs in the late summer early fall. The eggs are usually 0.3 mm in diameter.
White Tipped Mud Crabs are omnivorous. (They eat meat &plants)
Other systematic names that have been used for this species include
- Pilumnus harrisii Gould 1841,
- Pilumnus tridentatus Maitland 1874
- Heteropanope tridentatus Tesch 1922
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