Calappa calappa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Muñoz, Isabel, García-Raso, J. Enrique, Chillón, Begoña Sánchez & Cuesta, Jose A., 2025, Marine crabs from African waters housed in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC): An opportunity for biogeographic and systematic studies. Part I: Heterotremata (Decapoda, Brachyura), European Journal of Taxonomy 996, pp. 1-94 : 10-11

Calappa calappa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 6

Material examined

MAURITIUS • 1 unsexed (109.3 ×67) (dry specimen from the historic “Sala del Mar” exhibition); 1850; MNCN20.04/00104 • 1 ♂ (96.5 ×44.3); 1850; Guérin-Méneville leg.; MNCN20.04/00643 .

Remarks

The specimen with code MNCN20.04/00104 was dry preserved and deposited inside a glass and wood case for display. Thanks to the annotations in the logbook, it is known that it was exhibited in the “Sala del Mar” exhibition. It is interesting to note that on the labels used for the “Sala del Mar” exhibition, there was always an attempt to provide some non-scientific name or clarify something about the morphology of the specimen to make it more understandable for non-taxonomists, as in this case “Cangrejo costero de la Isla de Francia ” (coastal crab from the Island of France [= Mauritius]). The appearance of the male with MNCN20.04/00643 code, although is preserved in ethanol, indicates that at some point it was dry preserved. It is not explicitly written, but it is very likely that this specimen was also exhibited in “Sala del Mar”. In the specimen MNCN20.04/00104, the technique of fixation for dry preservation and display aided by needles can be observed. Because of this, it has not been possible to manipulate it, and it has not been sexed in order to avoid damaging it.

For identification see also Michel (1964) and Galil (1997).

Figures

Fig. 6. Calappa calappa (Linnaeus, 1758). A−B. Dry specimen, MNCN20.04/00104. C−G. Dry male, MNCN20.04/00643. Scale bars = 1 cm.