| Zosimus aeneus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Zosimus aeneus atAtauro | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Xanthidae |
| Genus: | Zosimus |
| Species: | Z. aeneus |
| Binomial name | |
| Zosimus aeneus | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Zosimus aeneus, also known as thedevil crab,toxic reef crab, anddevil reef crab is aspecies ofcrab that lives oncoral reefs in theIndo-Pacific fromEast Africa toHawaii. It grows to a size of 60 mm × 90 mm (2.4 in × 3.5 in) and has distinctive patterns of brownish blotches on a paler background. It is potentially lethal due to the presence of theneurotoxinstetrodotoxin andsaxitoxin in its flesh and shell.
Zosimus aeneus reaches a size of 60 by 90 millimetres (2.4 in × 3.5 in).[2] It is "a well known brightly coloured and strikingly patterned species":[3] itscarapace and legs (including the claws) are marked with a characteristic pattern of red or brown patches on a pale brown or cream background. The carapace is deeply grooved, and the walking legs have prominent crests.[4]
Zosimus aeneus is found across a large part of theIndo-Pacific, fromSouth Africa to theRed Sea, and as far east asJapan,Australia andHawaii.[2] It lives onreef flats in theintertidal zone.[2][4]
Zosimus aeneus wasfirst described byCarl Linnaeus in his 175810th edition ofSystema Naturae. It was transferred to the genus "Zozymus" byJames Dwight Dana in 1852, which was replaced withZosimus byMary J. Rathbun in 1907.[2] It is thetype species of the genusZosimus.[2]
Both the shell and the meat ofZosimus aeneus contain significant concentrations ofneurotoxins includingtetrodotoxin andsaxitoxin.[5] Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is the compound responsible for the toxicity ofpuffer fish, while saxitoxin (SXN) is the best known of several related neurotoxins that causeparalytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).[6] Both are absorbed through thegastrointestinal tract and interfere withsodium channels in the membranes ofnerve cells.[6]
Poisoning withZ. aeneus can be fatal; one man inTimor-Leste died hours after consuming the crab, having received a dose equivalent to 1–2 μg saxitoxin per kilogrambody mass.[7] The flesh ofZ. aeneus is reported to be ingested by inhabitants of the Pacific Islands with the intention of committing suicide.[8]
Z. aeneus is considered the most poisonous crab in the Philippines, with 50% of intoxication cases being fatal.[9] Studies determined that individual specimens contained in excess of 3000 MU/g of saxitoxin, a lethal amount for humans that resulted in 12 fatalities inNegros Island in the 1980s.[10] In February 2021, two children inCagayan died after eatingZ. aeneus caught by their father.[11]
Known in Zamboanga as Kagang-bugton, this is the most poisonous crab in our country and largely distributed in Ilocos, La Union, Batangas, Quezon, Albay, Sorsogon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Panay Island, Palawan, and Zamboanga. ...mortality rate is at 50%.[permanent dead link]
Occasional outbreaks of crab poisoning resulting in 12 fatalities on Negros Island, Philippines. The toxin content in the whole body exceeded 3000 MU, a PST level considered lethal for humans when taken orally.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)"Two children died on Friday (Feb. 12), while their father is in critical condition after allegedly consuming "kuret", a type of coral reef crab, in the Cagayan town of Santa Ana, local authorities said on Saturday (Feb. 13).