ABSTRACT
Lithodid crabs are among the largest arthropods whose occurrence in high concentrations in shallow continental shelf waters confers them a particular economic interest, which has prompted development of several of the most lucrative sheries of the world. In addition, the recent TV show Deadliest Catch directs worldwide public attention on the extreme ocean weather conditions where shing occurs. Fishery development and management, and more recently the evidence of rapid habitat colonization for some lithodids, for example, in Barents Sea or Antarctic waters, have stimulated scientic research on lithodids (Falk-Petersen et al., 2011; Hall and Thatje, 2009; Zaklan, 2002). Furthermore, lithodids are a group of predominately deep-sea crustaceans that mostly occupy cold-water habitats. Their optimal levels of growth and survival occur in the temperature range of 5°C-10°C (Hall and Thatje, 2011).
