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Index of flora
Index of fauna
Kingdom Animale | Phylum Arthropoda | Subphylum Crustacea | Class Malacostrata
 

Platypodia granulosa

Photo by K. Sagathevan
Demania scaberrima


Atergatis floridus
Poisonous Xanthid Crabs
Family Xanthidae

Order Decapoda


Most of the known poisonous crabs belong to this family.|

It is still not known how they accumulate the toxins, most of which are similar to those in puffer fishes (neurotoxins), or why they themselves are immune to it.

These toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking, and are extremely potent.
Photo by Tan Hong Kim
Lophozozymus pictor
(adult)

Photo by Tan Bee Hong
Lophozozymus pictor
(young)
The toxins are in the flesh and cannot be transmitted if one is pinched by the claws. Most of poisonous crabs have very bright warning colours, and it is a good practice to avoid eating them.
Introduction
Shore environment
 
From A Guide to Seashore Life by Dr Leo W H Tan and Peter K L Ng
Published by the Singapore Science Centre and sponsored by BP

@Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and Singapore Science Centre