The crab Herbstia condyliata is one of the 10 species that make up the Herbstia genus, which belongs to the Epialtidae family, within the Decapoda order. It is a species that inhabits the waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean (from the Cantabrian to the African coasts) and the Mediterranean Sea, being found up to 50 meters deep and being very common in poorly lit areas such as caves or crevices. During the night they can come out of their hiding places and move to nearby meadows to feed.
Herbstia condyliata has a body that usually does not exceed 4 cm in diameter, and is pear-shaped with a somewhat pointed face and a more rounded rear part. The body is endowed with numerous spines (especially developed in the eye area) and small tubercles that give it a certain degree of protection against predators. It has 4 pairs of thin legs, which are much longer than the body itself. These are preceded in the anterior part by a pair of modified legs with underdeveloped claws. The body is reddish-brown in color with irregular whitish spots on the carapace, as well as lighter transverse bands on the legs and pincers.
It is very common to observe juvenile specimens of Herbstia condyliata covered with sponges, pieces of algae and even encrusting organisms. All of them contribute to the specimen to go unnoticed on the bottoms where it lives. As the specimen grows, it will gradually lose this clothing, so that when they are adults, they will have a naked carapace.
Herbstia condyliata is a dioecious species, that is, it has specimens with separate sexes. Females and males are distinguished by the shape of their abdomen. In male specimens the abdomen is more slender and pointed. On the contrary, the females of Herbstia condyliata have a much wider and rounded abdomen, since it is in this part of the body where the females will carry the eggs once they have been fertilized and until they hatch. The breeding season for this species is between April and September.
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