Other than the species that are named after Hong Kong, some are named after locations of the city, and Ting Kok Tree Climbing Crab is an example. This crab was first discovered in Ting Kok, as its name suggested. Ting Kok, located within Tolo Harbour, houses the fourth largest mangrove stand in Hong Kong, where you can find six out of eight species of local mangrove trees. Ting Kok Tree Climbing Crab was described as a new species in 2017, and so far researchers have only recorded this crab in the Tolo area.
Ting Kok Tree Climbing Crab is the first arboreal crab species found in Hong Kong and in the genus Haberma. The male crabs from this genus have special locking structures on their 2nd and 3rd pairs of walking legs, which help them to hold tightly onto the females during mating. The other two Haberma species inhabit the muddy floor of the mangroves in Singapore and in West Papua, Indonesia respectively.
Ting Kok Tree Climbing Crab is tiny, with its carapace width even smaller than our thumb nail! Its squarish dark-brown carapace matches the colour of the tree branches, making it highly invisible without close observation. Besides, its chelae (front claws) are pale orangish, and it possesses long walking legs for walking efficiently on tree branches. These crabs, mostly found living at 1.5 to 1.8 m above ground, are highly adapted to arboreal life on mangrove trees, such that they have even evolved to be able to breathe in air.
| Family | Sesarmidae |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Haberma tingkok |
| Adult Size | < 1 cm in carapace breadth |
| Habitat | Mangroves |
| IUCN Red List Status | Not Evaluated |
