- English Common Name
- Scorpion Mud Lobster
- Scientific name
- Thalassina anomala
- Taxonomy
- Order: Decapoda, Family: Thalassinidae
- Size
- 15 cm to 30 cm
- Species Distribution
- South of Okinawa Island
- Okinawan Common Name
- Dahnahkan
Scorpion mud lobster mounds
- The appearance resembles lobsters, but this species is closely related to crawfish. This species is separated from the family of Upogebiidae even though the appearance and ecology are similar to each other. Its bigger body size and nature of making big mounds are main characteristics of Scorpion Mud Lobster. The first legs have asymmetrical claws, the shell is very hard, and it digs burrows in mud accumulated around mangrove trees. Mud dug out is left next to the entrance of the burrow. Burrows can reach 1 m to 3 m height becoming mounds. Outside of Japan, the Scorpion Mud Lobster is found in coastal areas of the continent Asia, the Malay Archipelago, north coasts of Australia, Fiji, and Samoa Islands
- Updated June 2017