Atelecyclus rotundatus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Cladus: Pancrustacea
Superclassis: Multicrustacea
Classis: Malacostraca
Subclassis: Eumalacostraca
Superordo: Eucarida
Ordo: Decapoda
Subordo: Pleocyemata
Infraordo: Brachyura
Sectio: Eubrachyura
Subsectio: Heterotremata
Superfamilia: Cancroidea

Familia: Atelecyclidae
Genus: Atelecyclus
Species: Atelecyclus rotundatus
Name

Atelecyclus rotundatus (Olivi, 1792)
References

Olivi G. (1792). Zoologia Adriatica, ossia catalogo ragionato degli animali del golfo e della lagune di Venezia. Bassano: 1–334.

Vernacular names
English: Circular crab
Nederlands: Cirkelronde krab

Atelecyclus rotundatus is a medium-sized crab found on the west coast of Europe and Africa as well as almost all the Mediterranean Sea and on the Cape Verde and Canary islands.[2] It has many common names, including circular crab, round crab and old man's face crab. It measures about 40 millimetres (1.6 in) across its almost circular, reddish-brown carapace and lives on coarse soft bottoms at shallow depths.[2] There are 9–11 sharp teeth on the front and 3 teeth between the eyes.[2]

This crab is sometimes mistaken for the more common Atelecyclus undecimdentatus. However, Atelecyclus undecimdentatus can be distinguished by its wider carapace and coarser granulations.[3]
References

Peter K. L. Ng; Danièle Guinot & Peter J. F. Davie (2008). "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. An annotated checklist of extant Brachyuran crabs of the world" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 17: 1–286.
Sonia Rowley (2007). "Atelecyclus rotundatus. Circular crab". Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
"The Marine Life Information Network". MarLIN. Retrieved 2012-07-18.