Crustacea: Decapoda (crabs, shrimps, lobsters, crayfish)

[brontodocus]

Many thanks, Blaine! I knew you'd like it. Yes, unfortunately it will remain the only arthropod within the Aquatales resin line. I'll link a photo in the Decapoda thread, too.

[brontodocus]

Mud Crab, Scylla serrata (Forsskål, 1775). Kaiyodo Aquatales Polyresin Aquatic animal figure collection Series 1 No. 006.

[bmathison1972]

Thank you Andre for posting the recent Scylla serrata. I believe AAA also made a large model of this species.

Below are my smaller crabs of the same family (Portunidae, swimming crabs). Not included (yet) are some larger models by AAA and Safari's blue crab as part of their Incredible Creatures line.

First, the 'gazami' crab, Portunus trituberculatus. The adult on the left is by Yujin (Shrimps and Crabs Collection). The larva ('zoea') is by Kaiyodo (Microcosmos). The third, darker, figure is a generic portunid by Elastolin I threw in for the fans of the vintage lines

Secondly, this is the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus. From left to right:
1) Kaiyodo (Capsule Aquarium Series 5)
2) Cadbury (Yowies - Australian release)
3) Cadbury (Yowies - UK release)
4) Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Japanese Figure Crab Collection)

[brontodocus]

Brilliant, I'm really envious of the Capsule Aquarium and CapsuleQ Museum Portunus pelagicus!

Thank you Andre for posting the recent Scylla serrata. I believe AAA also made a large model of this species.

Oh, how could I forget that one, there are at least two versions and we have a walk-around with beautiful outside photos of the larger one by Odontodactylus here.

[bmathison1972]

Unique Figures!!!

These 7 crabs here are, to my knowledge, unique figures meaning to-date these are the only figures of these species. (note, gaudy clown crab imaged by Andre above is also a unique figure).

TOP ROW, left to right:
1) mud-flat crab, Chasmagnathus convexus (Wing Mau, Aquatic Museum).
2) samurai crab, Heikeopsis japonica Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Japanese Figure Crab Collection)
3) red egg crab, Atergatis integerrimus (Koro Koro, Toba Aquarium)

BOTTOM ROW, left to right:
1) sponge crab, Stimdromia lateralis (Cadbury, Yowies)
2) Tasmanian giant-claw crab, Pseudocarinus gigas (Kaiyodo, Capsule Aquarium 3)
3) horsehair crab, Erimacrus isenbekii (Kaiyodo, unknown series)
4) cave crab, NOS (Safari, Cave Dwellers TOOB)

EDIT (Oct 26 2015): a second E. isenbekii was made this year (2015) by Kitan Club - Nature Techni Colour (Nature of Japan Vol. 3)

[widukind]

Nice crab figurine too! Congrats again

[Jetoar]

Really awesome figure 

[bmathison1972]

with my recent new spiny lobster, time to add the spiny lobsters, Palinuridae. Interesting, these 9 figures represent 6 different species (without knowing what the Elastolin figure was based on...)

TOP ROW, left to right:
1) Panulirus japonicus (Kitan Club Nature Techni Colour).
2) Panulirus japonicus (Epoch)
3) Panulirus brunneiflagellum (Kaiyodo, Sumida Aquarium Figure Collection)
4) Panulirus ornatus (Kitan Club Nature Techni Colour]

BOTTM ROW, left to right:
1) Panulirus japonicus (Kaiyodo, Enoshima Aquarium Collection)
2) Linuparus trigonus (Kaiyodo Choco Q Animatales)
3) generic palinurid (Elastolin)
4) Panulirus cygnus (Cadbury, Yowies)
5) Panulirus longipes (Kaiyodo, Capsule Aquarium)

[widukind]

Wonderful again 

[bmathison1972]

Time for more decapods! First it's the Japanese freshwater crab, Geothelphusa dehaani.

These seven figures all represent this same species. It has been made in toy form several times by several Japanese/gashapon manufacturers, and often released in different color forms. I have not tried to collect every color of every variety.

Also of interest, in my everyday job I am a parasitologist and this crab is a common source of infection for the lung fluke, Paragonimus westermanni.

TOP ROW, left to right:
1) Kitan Club Nature Techni Colour (Nature of Japan)—gravid female
2) Kaiyodo (Birdtales 2)—gravid female [also came in blue form]
3) Epoch [also come in blue form]

BOTTOM ROW, left to right:
1) F-toys (Creatures of the Waterside)
2) Kitan Club Nature Techni Colour (Crabs strap figures)***
3) Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales)—albino [secret figure]
4) Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales)—blue form [also came in orange and albino (secret)]

***this strap set from Kitan Club consisted of 8 figures of this same species, each a different color. I only bought one figure as I didn't need 8 color forms of the same figure!


Next up, fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae, Ucinae)

Several species have been made by several Japanese/gashapon figures. I have ten, for now (not including PlayVisions, which isn't imaged here), representing five different species!!! Hope they are not too small in the image; I wanted to get them all in one pic.

TOP ROW, left to right:
1) Uca tetragonon (Takara TOMY, Shrimps and Crabs Collection)
2) Uca tetragonon (Kaiyodo, Japanese Crab Figure Collection)
3) Uca tetragonon (Takara TOMY, Shrimps and Crabs Collection)—female [secret figure]
4) Uca arcuata (Koro Koro, Toba Aquarium)

MIDDLE ROW, left to right:
1) Uca arcuata (Wing Mau, Aquatic Museum)
2) Uca crassipes (Wing Mau, Aquatic Museum)
3) Uca lactea (Epoch)

BOTTOM ROW, left to right:
1) Uca vomeris (Cadbury, Yowies—Australian release)
2) Uca vomeris (Cadbury, Yowies-UK release)
3) Uca lactea (Wing Mau, Aquatic Museum)

[AnimalToyForum]

So many beautiful models - you have an awesome collection! The Yowies are cute

[radioactive347]

Yay, what a wonderful crustacean figure! The shell apparently belongs to a giant land snail, Achatina sp.

As kids, we used to sprinkle salt on the snails and then watch them sizzle and ooze

*Throws up*
Well that's cruel. 

[Jetoar]

Other lovely images of decapoda  .



AAA Dungeness Crab.



AAA Lobster.



AAA American Lobster (small).

[bmathison1972]

thanks Jetoar,

You are such a prolific poster, I was hoping you'd contribute to some of my arthropods posts

And thanks for adding species/organisms and manufacturer.

[Jetoar]

thanks Jetoar,

You are such a prolific poster, I was hoping you'd contribute to some of my arthropods posts

And thanks for adding species/organisms and manufacturer.

You are welcome partner  .

[bmathison1972]

Walk-around of the bee shrimp, Caridina cantonensis Yü, 1938 by AquaKitz, a company that specializes in aquarium equipment for breeding bee shrimp.

Caridina cantonensis is a small freshwater shrimp from streams in southern China. This species has become increasingly popular in the aquaria trade. It comes in a variety of colors, some 'wild type' but also some domestic varieties, usually in combinations of red/white, orange/white, black/white, black/blue.

AquaKitz makes 11 figures, four large (16 cm) and 7 small (5 cm), with one sculpt for each size. The only differences are the colors. Among the large figures, I specifically picked the CBS (crystal black shrimp) as it is one of the wild types. For the two smaller ones I just picked a couple of appealing designs

The large figure is lightweight and comes attached to a foam base. The figure can be removed from the base, but I'll keep mine for safety purposes. The foam base has 'bee shrimp' stamped into it. It is a very nice figure and no assembly is required, but it can be expensive and must ship from Australia. They are hand-made and apparently limited so if you want one, get it quick . They can be bought on ebay or direct from their site (http://aquakitz.com/aquakitz-shrimp-figures/).

A must for taxonomically or ecologically specialized collectors, or collectors of unique species (I am not aware of other bee shrimp figures).

[brontodocus]

Brilliant, especially the large version! Considering the variety of arthropod figures from Japanese toy companies and the popularity of those bee shrimps among aquarium hobbyists it is a bit surprising that apparently no other figures exist.

[Jetoar]

I didnt know figures of these species  .

[AcroSauroTaurus]

My only crustacean...
The Animal Planet Japanese Giant Spider Crab (retired)

[bmathison1972]

My only crustacean...
The Animal Planet Japanese Giant Spider Crab

Oooo...I like that one. Need to find one of those