''Glyptolithodes cristatipes'', also known as the
Peruvian
centolla, is a
species of
king crab, and the only species in the
genus ''Glyptolithodes''.
The species was briefly placed in the related genus ''
Rhinolithodes
''Rhinolithodes wosnessenskii'', also called the ''rhinoceros crab'' or ''golf-ball crab'', is a species of king crab, the only species in the genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant t ...
'' after its initial
description, but was soon moved to its own genus.
Distribution
''G. cristatipes'' is found off the
Pacific coasts of
South America, especially
Chile and
Peru, and extending as far northwards as
Southern California,
and as far south as 33° 35' S.
The most closely related genera to ''Glyptolithodes'' all live in the
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
, suggesting that ''Glyptolithodes'' has migrated from its ancestral home to the
Southern Hemisphere, where it is now most abundant.
Dimorphism
This species shows notable
sexual dimorphism, with the males having a right
cheliped which is larger than the left.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15730761
King crabs
Edible crustaceans
Crustaceans of the eastern Pacific Ocean
Western South American coastal fauna
Monotypic crustacean genera
Taxa named by Walter Faxon