About Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842
Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842, commonly called the red-spotted guard crab, has an exoskeleton that ranges in color from cream to pink, and can bear up to 150 red spots. It has 6 small teeth between its eyes, and the lower half of its pincers is smooth. This species grows between 1.5 and 2.5 cm (0.6 and 1.0 in), with a maximum carapace width of 1.5 cm (0.6 in). It reproduces sexually, with indirect sperm transfer. It typically lives either alone or in small groups, and mating usually includes courtship rituals. This coral-associated crab is native to the Indo-Pacific region, with confirmed localities including Hawai'i, East Africa, the Red Sea, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It lives in shallow coral reefs, found among branching corals. It forms a mutualistic relationship with its host coral: it defends the coral from predators, and receives shelter from the coral in exchange. Trapezia tigrina occurs at depths between 1 and 90 m (3.3 and 295.3 ft).
