Crabs: A Global Natural History
A richly illustrated natural history of the world's crabs that examines their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more

This lavishly illustrated book offers a remarkable look at the world’s crabs. More than 7,000 crab species, in 100 different families, are known today. Their unique physiology and complex behaviors have made them one of the most diverse and adaptable of all animal groups. They can thrive in the darkness of abyssal seas, on the edges of scalding hot volcanic hydrothermal vents, on sunlit coral reefs, on wave-washed rocky shores, and in tropical rain forests at the tops of mountains. They even persist in some of the harshest desert conditions. Playing a vital role in marine and coastal ecology, crabs have been identified as keystone species in habitats such as coral reefs and coastal tropical swamps.

Crabs comprises five chapters: evolutionary pathways; anatomy and physiology; ecology; reproduction, cognition, and behavior; and exploitation and conservation. Individual chapters include a variety of subtopics, each illustrated by exceptional images, and followed by numerous double full-page species’ profiles. Each profile has been chosen to emphasize remarkable and intriguing aspects of the life of these fascinating creatures. Some species may be familiar, but many are beyond anything you have probably seen before and will stretch your understanding of what a crab is.

Written by a world authority, Crabs offers an accessible overview of these fascinating crustaceans.

  • More than 190 spectacular color photographs
  • Accessible and well-organized chapters
  • Full profiles on 42 iconic species from across the world
"1138914769"
Crabs: A Global Natural History
A richly illustrated natural history of the world's crabs that examines their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more

This lavishly illustrated book offers a remarkable look at the world’s crabs. More than 7,000 crab species, in 100 different families, are known today. Their unique physiology and complex behaviors have made them one of the most diverse and adaptable of all animal groups. They can thrive in the darkness of abyssal seas, on the edges of scalding hot volcanic hydrothermal vents, on sunlit coral reefs, on wave-washed rocky shores, and in tropical rain forests at the tops of mountains. They even persist in some of the harshest desert conditions. Playing a vital role in marine and coastal ecology, crabs have been identified as keystone species in habitats such as coral reefs and coastal tropical swamps.

Crabs comprises five chapters: evolutionary pathways; anatomy and physiology; ecology; reproduction, cognition, and behavior; and exploitation and conservation. Individual chapters include a variety of subtopics, each illustrated by exceptional images, and followed by numerous double full-page species’ profiles. Each profile has been chosen to emphasize remarkable and intriguing aspects of the life of these fascinating creatures. Some species may be familiar, but many are beyond anything you have probably seen before and will stretch your understanding of what a crab is.

Written by a world authority, Crabs offers an accessible overview of these fascinating crustaceans.

  • More than 190 spectacular color photographs
  • Accessible and well-organized chapters
  • Full profiles on 42 iconic species from across the world
29.95 In Stock
Crabs: A Global Natural History

Crabs: A Global Natural History

by Peter J. F. Davie
Crabs: A Global Natural History

Crabs: A Global Natural History

by Peter J. F. Davie

Hardcover

$29.95 
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Overview

A richly illustrated natural history of the world's crabs that examines their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more

This lavishly illustrated book offers a remarkable look at the world’s crabs. More than 7,000 crab species, in 100 different families, are known today. Their unique physiology and complex behaviors have made them one of the most diverse and adaptable of all animal groups. They can thrive in the darkness of abyssal seas, on the edges of scalding hot volcanic hydrothermal vents, on sunlit coral reefs, on wave-washed rocky shores, and in tropical rain forests at the tops of mountains. They even persist in some of the harshest desert conditions. Playing a vital role in marine and coastal ecology, crabs have been identified as keystone species in habitats such as coral reefs and coastal tropical swamps.

Crabs comprises five chapters: evolutionary pathways; anatomy and physiology; ecology; reproduction, cognition, and behavior; and exploitation and conservation. Individual chapters include a variety of subtopics, each illustrated by exceptional images, and followed by numerous double full-page species’ profiles. Each profile has been chosen to emphasize remarkable and intriguing aspects of the life of these fascinating creatures. Some species may be familiar, but many are beyond anything you have probably seen before and will stretch your understanding of what a crab is.

Written by a world authority, Crabs offers an accessible overview of these fascinating crustaceans.

  • More than 190 spectacular color photographs
  • Accessible and well-organized chapters
  • Full profiles on 42 iconic species from across the world

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691201719
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 12/07/2021
Pages: 224
Sales rank: 629,851
Product dimensions: 8.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Peter J. F. Davie is an honorary research fellow and formerly senior curator of crustacea at the Queensland Museum in Australia. A marine taxonomist and ecologist, he has published more than 160 scientific papers and numerous books. He is an internationally recognized expert on the taxonomy and biodiversity of crabs and has named two new crab families and more than 125 new crustacean species.

Table of Contents

Introducing crabs 6

Classification chart 18

1 Evolutionary Pathways 20

What's in a name? Crab precursors and impostors 22

Crabs in prehistory 30

Evolutionary trends within brachyurans 34

Robber crab 44

Halloween hermit crab 46

Puget Sound king crab 48

Durian crab 50

Slender frog crab 52

Shaggy shore crab 54

Green-spotted gall crab 56

Spiny-clawed deep-sea crab 58

2 Anatomy and Physiology 60

How crabs are put together: external anatomy 62

What's hidden inside: internal anatomy and physiology 76

Yellowline arrow crab 84

Slender-clawed boxer crab 86

Gaudy clown crab 88

Losided crab 90

Pretty crested reef crab 92

Rough-shelled porter crab 94

Guinot's agile reef crab 96

Malaysian face-stripe mangrove crab 98

Horn-eyed ghost crab 100

3 Crab Ecology 102

A most successful group… 104

Crab environments 112

Living with others: symbioses 120

Christmas Island blind cave crab 124

Gaimard's spider crab 126

Hourdezi's hydrothermal vent crab 128

Sally Lightfoot crab 130

Red-kneed soldier crab 132

Lewinsohn's sponge crab 134

Harlequin swimming crab 136

Sculptured crab 138

Adams zebra crab 140

4 Reproduction, Cognition and Behaviour 142

Reproduction 144

Behaviour and intelligence 156

Striped box crab 162

Christmas Island red crab 164

Candy crab 166

Superb decorator crab 168

Arrowhead crab 170

Stalk-eyed shore crab 172

Thick-legged fiddler crab 174

Garfunkel's crab 176

5 Exploitation and Conservation 178

Crabs as food 180

Crabs and disease 190

Crabs behaving badly 194

Crab conservation 198

Red king crab 202

Spanner crab 204

Tiger crab 206

Common European spider crab 208

Horsehair crab 210

Chinese mitten crab 212

European edible crab 214

Little red vampire crab 216

Glossary / Further Reading 218

Index 219

Picture Credits 223

Acknowledgements 224

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Filled with beautiful photographs, this great book looks at the beauty and diversity of crabs and covers an incredibly broad range of topics. I have studied crabs for decades and I still learned a huge amount from reading this work."—Patricia Backwell, Australia National University

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