Metopograpsus messor (Forskål, 1775), Brachyura

Naderloo, Reza & Türkay, Michael, 2012, Decapod crustaceans of the littoral and shallow sublittoral Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf: Faunistics, Biodiversity and Zoogeography 3374, Zootaxa 3374 (1), pp. 1-67 : 46

Metopograpsus messor (Forskål, 1775)

Persian Gulf. Kuwait ( Jones 1986a), Saudi Arabia ( Basson et al. 1977; Apel 1994 a, 1996), Bahrain ( Nobili 1906a; Stephensen 1946; Vousden 1987), Qatar ( Al-Khayat & Jones 1999), UAE ( Titgen 1982; Al-Ghais & Cooper 1996; Cooper 1997; Hornby 1997), Iran ( Stephensen 1946; Hosseini 2009; Naderloo 2011; present study).

Iran. Hormozgan Province: Kolahi, Bandar-Tiab, Qeshm I. (28 stations around the island), Bandar-Abbas, Baghestan, Bostanu, Bandar-Pohl, Bandar-Khamir, Mahtabi, Bandar-Kong, Bandar-Lengeh, Bandar-Bustaneh, Bandar-Divan, Chiruyeh, Bandar-Mogham, Moghdan. Bushehr Province: Khalij-Nayband, Nakhl-Naghi, Bandar- Dayyer, Bordekhun-Kohne, Mond, Kabgan, Golestan, Delvar, Bandargah, Bushehr (Jofreh), Bandar-Rig, Chahak, Chah-Shur, Bandar-Deylam, Emamzadeh Shah-Abdollah. Khuzestan Province: Mahshahr (Majidieh Fishery Jetty), Bandar-Emam.

General distribution. Western Indian Ocean: East Africa, Madagascar, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, India ( Bombay), Andaman I.

Habitat. Rocky intertidal, rocky jetties, mangroves.

Remarks. A more detailed taxonomic account of the species from the region has recently been provided by Naderloo (2011).