Anomura: Families

P. McLaughlin, S. Ahyong & J.K. Lowry

Common name. Mole crabs.

Description. Carapace cylindrical or subcylindrical, carapace longer than wide; carapace with linea anomurica; outer orbital spines absent; rostrum reduced, or absent. Eye cornea well developed, or reduced; ocular acicles absent. Antenna 1 flagellum biramous. Maxilliped 3 bases widely separated; crista dentata absent; dactylus simple.

Pereopod 1 subchelate; cheliped equal or subequal. Pereopods 2 to 4 pereopods 2 to 4 all of similar form; 2-4 with basis and ischium fused; dactyli of pereopods 2 to 3 curved and flattened. Pereopod 3 shorter than pereopod 2; pereopods 3 dactyli and propodi of right and left similar. Pereopod 4 semichelate. Sternum completely divided; sternite of pereopod 5 reduced, widely separated from preceding sternite; somite of pereopod 5 not fused with first abdominal somite.

Abdomen well developed, carried under thorax, abdomen with distinct somites. Epimera (pleura) absent. Male pleopods 3-5 paired; none modified as gonopods. Male with no other sexual modifications; female with no sexual modifications. Uropods present, uropods positioned ventrolaterally, not forming tailfan; rami unmodified. Telson present, entire.

Larval development. Metamorphic.

Superfamily composition. Hippoidea.

Generic composition. Hippa Fabricius, 1787; Emerita Scopoli, 1777; Mastigochirus Miers, 1878; Mastigopus Stimpson, 1858; Remipes Latrielle, 1804.

Habitat. Marine.

Distribution. Worldwide except Arctic and Antarctic.

Cite this publication as: ' McLaughlin, P., S. Ahyong & J.K. Lowry (2002 onwards). 'Anomura: Families.' Version: 2 October 2002. https://crustacea.net'.