Portunidae

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Portunidae
Liocarcinus depurator
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Superfamily: Portunoidea
Family: Portunidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Subfamilies
  • Achelouinae Spiridonov, 2020
  • Carupinae Paul'son, 1875
  • Coelocarcininae Števćić, 1991
  • Lupocyclinae Alcock, 1899
  • Necronectinae Glaessner, 1928
  • Podophthalminae Dana, 1851
  • Portuninae Rafinesque, 1815
  • Thalamitinae Paul'son, 1875

Portunidae is a family of crabs which contains the swimming crabs. Its members include many well-known shoreline crabs, such as the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and velvet crab (Necora puber). Two genera in the family are contrastingly named Scylla and Charybdis; the former contains the economically important species black crab (Scylla serrata) and Scylla paramamosain.

Description[edit]

Portunid crabs are characterised by the flattening of the fifth pair of legs into broad paddles, which are used for swimming.[1] This ability, together with their strong, sharp claws, allows many species to be fast and aggressive predators.[1]

Taxonomy[edit]

Swimming crabs reach their greatest species diversity in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.[2] The following species are recognized in the family Portunidae:

Extinct genera are marked with an obelisk.

Achelouinae Spiridonov, 2020
Caphyrinae Guérin, 1832
Carupinae Paulson, 1875
Coelocarcininae Števćić, 1991
Lupocyclinae Alcock, 1899
Necronectinae Glaessner, 1928
Podophthalminae Dana, 1851
Portuninae Rafinesque, 1815
Thalamitinae Paulson, 1875
incertae sedis

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b P. J. F. Davie (2002). "Portunidae". Crustacea: Malocostraca: Eucarida (Part 2), Decapoda: Anomura, Brachyura. Volume 19 of Zoological catalogue of Australia, Australia. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 442–446. ISBN 978-0-643-05677-0.
  2. ^ "WoRMS taxon details, Ovalipidae Spiridonov, Neretina & Schepetov, 2014". World Register of Marine Species. 2019. doi:10.14284/170. Retrieved 2019-12-29.

External links[edit]