Naxia tumida

Naxia tumida, the little seaweed crab, dresser crab, or decorator crab, is a small crab of the family Majidae (with a carapace up to 4 centimetres or 1.6 inches in diameter) that is common in rocky intertidal and subtidal areas on the temperate coasts of Australia, including parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.[1] It is usually found covered in seaweed that acts as camouflage, attached to the hooks on its shell. It attaches the algae or seaweed with a secretion that becomes adhesive when hardened.[1]

Naxia tumida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Crustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Majidae
Genus:	Naxia
Species:	N. tumida
Binomial name
Naxia tumida (Dana, 1852)
Synonyms
Halimus tumidus Dana, 1852

Naxia tumida was discovered by the United States Exploring Expedition and described by James Dwight Dana, originally under the name Halimus tumidus. The syntypes appear to have been lost.[2]

References

1. "Naxia tumida". Australian Museum. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
2. "Species Naxia tumida (Dana, 1852)". Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2011.