Real Famous Jamaicans
The Endemic Crabs of Jamaica

Jamaica has an extraordinary high number of endemic species of freshwater and terrestrial crabs.

Living in rivers and streams:
Sesarma bidentatum Benedict, 1892
Central-eastern Jamaica and western Blue Mountains.

Sesarma windsor Türkay & Diesel 1994
Central Jamaica, northeastern Cockpit Country, including caves.

Sesarma fossarum Schubart, Reimer, Diesel & Türkay, 1997
Central-western Jamaica, western Cockpit Country.

Sesarma ayatum Schubart, Reimer & Diesel, 1998
Eastern Jamaica, including eastern Blue Mountains.

Sesarma dolphinum Reimer, Schubart & Diesel, 1998
Western Jamaica, Mount Dolphin Head.

Sesarma meridies Schubart & Koller, 2005
South-eastern Cockpit Country.


In limestone caves
Sesarma verleyi Rathbun, 1914 - The cave crab
A true troglobite, living in caves of central and western Jamaica.

In the rainforest
Sesarma cookie Hartnoll, 1971 - The John Crow Mountain crab
Only known from higher elevations of the John Crow Mountains. Probably the rarest crab species on the island.

Sesarma jarvisi Rathbun, 1914 - The snail crab
In the forests of central western Jamaica. Inhabits the shells of land snails.

Metopaulias depressus Rathbun, 1896 - The bromeliad crab
In the forests of central western Jamaica. Inhabits bromeliads.