''Scleroplax'' is a genus of

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

s in the family

Pinnotheridae Pinnotheridae is a family of tiny soft-bodied crabs that live commensally in the mantles of certain bivalve molluscs and the occasional large gastropod mollusc species in genera such as ''Strombus'' and ''Haliotis''. '' Tunicotheres moseri'' i ...

. Species of the genus ''Scleroplax'' live as a

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit f ...

of various

burrow file:Chipmunk-burrow (exits).jpg, An eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of Animal lo ...

ing animals including the mud shrimp '' Neotrypaea californiensis'', '' N. gigas'', '' Upogebia pugettensis'' and '' U. macginiteorum'', and the

echiura The Echiura, or spoon worms, are a small group of ocean, marine animals. Once treated as a separate phylum, they are now considered to belong to Annelida. Annelids typically have their bodies divided into Segmentation (biology), segments, but e ...

n worm ''

Urechis caupo ''Urechis caupo'' is a species of Echiura, spoon worm in the family Urechidae, commonly known as the innkeeper echiuran, the fat innkeeper worm (because their tunnels often contain other animals), the innkeeper worm, or the penis fish. It is fou ...

'' (known as the " fat innkeeper"), and occurs from

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Punta Abreojos Punta Abreojos is a fishing town in the municipality of Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It is located at the entrance to Laguna La Bocana, and is close to Estero Coyote.]s. #Rains, Rains (2006) An isolated hill, high, rises a few miles beh ...

, Mulegé (municipality), Mulegé,

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur, is a state in Mexico. It is the 31st and last state to be admitted, in 1974. It is also the second least populated Mexican state and the ninth-largest state by ...

, Mexico.

References

Pinnotheroidea Crustaceans of the eastern Pacific Ocean Taxa named by Mary J. Rathbun {{Eubrachyura-stub