Portunidae (original) (raw)

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Family of crabs

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: PortunidaeRafinesque, 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.

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]

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

  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 Editorial Board (2019). "WoRMS taxon details, Ovalipidae Spiridonov, Neretina & Schepetov, 2014". World Register of Marine Species. doi:10.14284/170. Retrieved 2019-12-29.