pea crab

pea crab
any of several tiny crabs of the family Pinnotheridae, the female of which lives as a commensal in the shells of bivalve mollusks.
[1830-40]

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 any member of a genus (Pinnotheres) of crabs (order Decapoda) living in the mantle cavity of certain bivalve mollusks, echinoderms, and polychaetes as a commensal (i.e., on or in another animal host but not deriving nourishment from it). Females of Pinnotheres ostreum, also known as the oyster crab, are found in oysters of the Atlantic coastal waters of North America and are especially abundant in oysters of Chesapeake Bay. The body of the female is pinkish white and up to 2 cm (about 0.75 inch) across. An irregular stripe runs from front to back across the carapace, or back. Males, seldom seen, are smaller, dark brown, and usually free-swimming. The female pea crab holds her eggs with the back legs until they hatch. The larvae leave their molluscan home and swim before settling in the mantle cavity of another bivalve.

      P. maculatus, with a range similar to that of P. ostreum, is found in the shells of scallops, clams, and mussels. P. pisum, found in European coastal waters, lives in mussel and cockle shells.

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  • Pea crab — Pea Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pea-crab — peaˈ crab noun A little round crab (genus Pinnotheres) that lives symbiotically in lamellibranch shells • • • Main Entry: ↑pea …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pea crab — Taxobox name = Pea crab image width = 250px image caption = Pinnotheres pisum ♂ regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda subphylum = Crustacea classis = Malacostraca ordo = Decapoda subordo = Pleocyemata infraordo = Brachyura familia =… …   Wikipedia

  • pea crab — noun tiny soft bodied crab living commensally in the mantles of certain bivalve mollusks • Hypernyms: ↑crab • Hyponyms: ↑oyster crab, ↑Pinnotheres ostreum • Member Holonyms: ↑Pinnotheres, ↑genus Pinnotheres * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • pea crab — /ˈpi kræb/ (say pee krab) noun a small semiparasitic crab of the family Pinnotheridae, which inhabits the branchial cavities of molluscs and tunicates …  

  • New Zealand pea crab — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum …   Wikipedia

  • Pea — Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum}, of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pea berry — Pea Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pea bug — Pea Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pea coal — Pea Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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