Abstract
The crabs of the genus Dissodactylus are well known as ectosymbionts of irregular echinoids belonging to Clypeasteroida and Spatangoida. Dissodactylus crinitichelis is the only species of the genus reported in Brazil. The pea crab species has been already recorded associated with four species of echinoids in Brazilian waters. This paper reviews the known hosts for D. crinitichelis and registers for the first time the association between the pea crab and the sand dollar Leodia sexiesperforata increasing to five the number of known hosts for the crab.
Highlights
The diversity of the marine environment, specially the benthic substratum is commonly reflected by many interactions among organisms, even free living ones
The crabs of the genus Dissodactylus are well known as ectosymbionts of irregular echinoids belonging to Clypeasteroida and Spatangoida
Dissodactylus crinitichelis is the only species of the genus reported in Brazil
Summary
The diversity of the marine environment, specially the benthic substratum is commonly reflected by many interactions among organisms, even free living ones. Such event is quite common since many of these species act as substratum or environment for others. Sensu De Bary (1879), can be defined as “a phenomenon in which dissimilar organisms live together” (Vermeij, 1983; Paracer and Ahmadjian, 2000). These interactions are commonly observed among crustaceans. These taxa have many species that have adapted to co-exist in symbiosis with other invertebrates (Barel and Kramers, 1977; Rohde, 2005)
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