Invertebrate
Mottled Purse Crab
Persephona mediterraneaAlso known as Purse Crab
Mottled purse crabs carry a distinctive pebble-like, globular carapace equipped with three sharp posterior spines that deter hungry bottom-feeders. They spend daytime hours buried backwards in shallow sandy or muddy sediments, drawing clean water through tube-like facial channels while concealed. Females feature a deep, cup-shaped abdominal pouch used to securely brood thousands of developing eggs until hatching.
CrustaceanBenthicCamouflaged
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—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyPolychaete Worms, Small Bivalves, Amphipods
Predators
- Stingrays
- Red Drum
- Sea Turtles
ThreatsBottom trawling bycatch, dredging, and coastal pollution
HabitatsShallow subtropical and tropical sandy or muddy coastal bottoms
Life span2–4 years
Classification
- OrderDecapoda
- FamilyLeucosiidae
- GenusPersephona
- SpeciesPersephona mediterranea
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Beachcombing Search: Inspect high tide wrack lines after strong storms for smooth, pebble-like carapaces.
- Gentle Handling: Hold living specimens carefully along the side margins to avoid minor pinches from claws.
Image unavailableEcological Neighbor 
Competitor Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-saClose Relative
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