Portunidae Explained
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
Portunid crabs are characterised by the flattening of the fifth pair of legs into broad paddles, which are used for swimming. This ability, together with their strong, sharp claws, allows many species to be fast and aggressive predators.[1]
Taxonomy
Swimming crabs reach their greatest species diversity in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The following species are recognized in the family Portunidae:
Extinct genera are marked with an obelisk.
- Achelouinae Spiridonov, 2020
- Caphyrinae Guérin, 1832
- Caphyra Guérin, 1832
- Coelocarcinus Edmondson, 1930
- Lissocarcinus Adams & White, 1849
- †Mioxaiva Müller, 1978
- Carupinae Paulson, 1875
- Carupa Dana, 1851
- Catoptrus A. Milne-Edwards, 1870
- †Euronectes Karasawa, Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2008
- Kume Naruse & Ng, 2012
- Laleonectes Manning & Chace, 1990
- Libystes A. Milne-Edwards, 1867
- Pele Ng, 2011
- †Rakosia Müller, 1984
- Richerellus Crosnier, 2003
- Coelocarcininae Števćić, 1991
- Coelocarcinus Edmondson, 1930
- Lupocyclinae Alcock, 1899
- Lupocycloporus Alcock, 1899
- Lupocyclus Adams & White, 1849
- Necronectinae Glaessner, 1928
- †Necronectes A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
- Scylla De Haan, 1833
- Podophthalminae Dana, 1851
- Euphylax Stimpson, 1860
- †Paraeuphylax Varela & Schweitzer, 2011
- †Phenophthalmus Feldmann, Schweitzer & Encinas, 2010
- Podophthalmus Lamarck, 1801
- †Psygmophthalmus Schweitzer, Iturralde-Vinent, Hetler & Velez-Juarbe, 2006
- †Sandomingia Rathbun, 1919
- †Saratunus Collins, Lee & Noad, 2003
- †Viaophthalmus Karasawa, Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2008
- Vojmirophthalmus Števčić, 2011
- Portuninae Rafinesque, 1815
- †Acanthoportunus Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2002
- Alionectes Koch, Spiridonov & Ďuriš, 2022
- Allomonomia Koch, Spiridonov & Ďuriš, 2022
- †Archaeoportunus Artal, Ossó & Domínguez, 2021
- Arenaeus Dana, 1851
- Atoportunus Ng & Takeda, 2003
- Callinectes Stimpson, 1860
- Carupella Lenz in Lenz & Strunck, 1914
- Cavoportunus Nguyen & Ng, 2010
- †Colneptunus Lőrenthey in Lőrenthey & Beurlen, 1929
- Cycloachelous Ward, 1942
- Eodemus Koch, Spiridonov & Ďuriš, 2022
- Incultus Koch, Spiridonov & Ďuriš, 2022
- Monomia Gistel, 1848
- Portunus Weber, 1795
- †Rathbunites Schweitzer, Dworschak & Martin, 2011
- Sanquerus Manning, 1989
- Trionectes Koch, Spiridonov & Ďuriš, 2022
- Xiphonectes A. Milne-Edwards, 1873
- Thalamitinae Paulson, 1875
- Caphyra Guérin, 1832
- Charybdis De Haan, 1833
- Cronius Stimpson, 1860
- †Eocharybdis Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2002
- Gonioinfradens Leene, 1938
- Goniosupradens Davie, 2002
- †Lessinithalamita De Angeli & Ceccon, 2015
- Lissocarcinus Adams & White, 1849
- †Mioxaiva Müller, 1979
- Thalamita Latreille, 1829
- Thalamitoides A. Milne-Edwards, 1869
- Zygita
- incertae sedis
- †Neptocarcinus Lörenthey, 1897
- †Pseudoachelous Portell & Collins, 2004
Notes and References
- Book: P. J. F. Davie . Crustacea: Malocostraca: Eucarida (Part 2), Decapoda: Anomura, Brachyura . Volume 19 of Zoological catalogue of Australia, Australia . 978-0-643-05677-0 . . 2002 . Portunidae . 442–446 . https://books.google.com/books?id=jr9SR1Cr5BAC&pg=PA442.
