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The Living Encyclopedia
Explore our comprehensive database of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Discover detailed care guides, morph varieties, and community setups.
invertebrate
Goliath Beetle
Goliathus goliatus
The Goliath beetles are any of the six species in the genus Goliathus. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the family Scarabaeidae. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa's tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, Goliathus beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods, such as commercial cat and dog food. Goliath beetles measure from 6-11 centimeters for males and 5-8 centimeters for females, as adults, and can reach weights of up to 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 oz) in the larval stage, though the adults are only about half this weight. The females range from a dark chestnut brown to silky white, but the males are normally brown/white/black or black/white. Goliath beetles, while not currently evaluated on the IUCN Red List, are facing growing conservation challenges across their African range due to habitat loss, over-collection for the international pet trade, and the potential impacts of climate change.
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invertebrate
Dungeness Crab
Metacarcinus magister
The Dungeness crab makes up one of the most important seafood industries along the west coast of North America. Its typical range extends from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Point Conception, near Santa Barbara, California. Dungeness typically grow 6–7 in (150–180 mm) at their widest point and inhabit eelgrass beds and sandy bottoms. Its common name comes from the Dungeness Spit in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington state, United States, which shelters a shallow bay inhabited by the crabs.
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invertebrate
King Crab
Paralithodes camtschaticus
The red king crab, also called Kamchatka crab or Alaskan king crab, is a species of king crab native to cold waters in the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, but also introduced to the Barents Sea. It grows to a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and is heavily targeted by fisheries.
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invertebrate
Stone Crab
Menippe mercenaria
The Florida stone crab is a crab found in the western North Atlantic, from Connecticut to Colombia, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the East Coast of the United States. The crab can also be found in and around the salt marshes of South Carolina and Georgia. The closely related species Menippe adina, the gulf stone crab, is sometimes considered a subspecies as they can interbreed to form hybrids, and they are treated as one species for commercial fishing, with their ranges partly overlapping. The two species are believed to have diverged approximately 3 million years ago. The species is widely caught for food.
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invertebrate
Snow Crab
Chionoecetes opilio
Chionoecetes is a genus of crabs that live in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
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invertebrate
Spider Crab
Maja squinado
Maja squinado is a species of migratory crab found in the Mediterranean Sea. The appearance of the European spider crab is similar to the much larger Japanese spider crab, although the European spider crab belongs to the family Majidae, and the Japanese spider crab belongs to a different family of crabs, the Macrocheiridae.
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invertebrate
Japanese Spider Crab
Macrocheira kaempferi
The Japanese giant spider crab is a species of marine crab and is the largest crab found in the waters around Japan. At around 3.75 meters, it has the largest leg-span of any arthropod. The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani,, literally translating to "tall-legged crab". It goes through three main larval stages along with a prezoeal stage to grow to its full size.
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invertebrate
Horseshoe Crab
Limulus polyphemus
The Atlantic horseshoe crab, also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of horseshoe crab, a kind of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. The main area of annual migration is Delaware Bay along the South Jersey Delaware Bayshore.
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invertebrate
Coconut Crab
Birgus latro
The coconut crab is a terrestrial species of giant hermit crab, and is also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest terrestrial arthropod known, with a weight up to 4.1 kg (9 lb). The distance from the tip of one leg to the tip of another can be as wide as 1 m. It is found on islands across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as far east as the Gambier Islands, Pitcairn Islands, and Caroline Island, and as far west as Zanzibar. While its range broadly shadows the distribution of the coconut palm, the coconut crab has been extirpated from most areas with a significant human population such as mainland Australia and Madagascar.
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invertebrate
Spiny Lobster
Panulirus argus
Panulirus argus, the Caribbean spiny lobster, is a species of spiny lobster that lives on reefs and in mangrove swamps in the western Atlantic Ocean.
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invertebrate
Slipper Lobster
Scyllarides latus
Scyllarides latus, the Mediterranean slipper lobster, is a species of slipper lobster found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is edible and highly regarded as food, but is now rare over much of its range due to overfishing. Adults may grow to 1 foot (30 cm) long, are camouflaged, and have no claws. They are nocturnal, emerging from caves and other shelters during the night to feed on molluscs. As well as being eaten by humans, S. latus is also preyed upon by a variety of bony fish. Its closest relative is S. herklotsii, which occurs off the Atlantic coast of West Africa; other species of Scyllarides occur in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. The larvae and young animals are largely unknown.
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invertebrate
Mantis Shrimp
Odontodactylus scyllarus
Odontodactylus scyllarus, commonly known as the peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin mantis shrimp, painted mantis shrimp, clown mantis shrimp, rainbow mantis shrimp, peacock odontodactyl, or simply mantis shrimp, is a large odontodactylid stomatopod native to the epipelagic seabed across the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Marianas to East Africa, and as far South as Northern KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. It is one of roughly 480 species of mantis shrimp, which are well known for their raptorial claws, exceptional vision, and their unique way of interacting with other marine species.
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invertebrate
Dragonfly
Anax imperator
The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is the largest dragonfly in most of Europe, including the United Kingdom, although exceeded in some areas by other species.
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invertebrate
Common Darter
Sympetrum striolatum
The common darter is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round.
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invertebrate
Blue Dasher
Pachydiplax longipennis
The blue dasher is an insect of the skimmer family. It is the only species in the genus Pachydiplax. It is widely distributed throughout North America and into the Bahamas.
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invertebrate
Widow Skimmer
Libellula luctuosa
The widow skimmer is one of the group of dragonflies known as king skimmers. The nymphs live in the water, molting and growing until they are ready to emerge from the water and then molting a final time to reveal their wings.
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invertebrate
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Libellula pulchella
The twelve-spotted skimmer is a common North American skimmer dragonfly, found in southern Canada and in all 48 of the contiguous U.S. states.
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invertebrate
Eastern Pondhawk
Erythemis simplicicollis
Erythemis simplicicollis, the eastern pondhawk, also known as the common pondhawk, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is a dragonfly of ponds and still waters. The species is distinguished in that the female is bright green with a banded abdomen and the mature male has a blue abdomen with a green face and green and blue thorax.
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invertebrate
Flame Skimmer
Libellula saturata
The flame skimmer or firecracker skimmer is a common dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to western North America.
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invertebrate
Damselfly
Calopteryx virgo
The beautiful demoiselle is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. The species has been found in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, and are often found nearby fast-flowing waters.
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