Panopeidae
Family of crabs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Panopeidae are a family containing 26 genera of morphologically similar crabs, often known as "mud crabs". Their centers of diversity are the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
| Panopeidae | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Dyspanopeus sayi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Superfamily: | Xanthoidea |
| Family: | Panopeidae Ortmann, 1893[1] |
| Synonyms [2] | |
|
Eucratopsidae Stimpson, 1871 (nom. rej.) | |

Distribution
Most members of the family Panopeidae live in the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean. Only one species occurs in Australian waters – Homoioplax haswelli.[2]
Ecology
The various genera of the Panopeidae are morphologically similar, partly as a result of many instances of convergent evolution to similar habitats and food preferences.[3]
Crabs of the family Panopeidae are all free-living (not commensal or parasitic),[2] and typically live in soft-bottomed parts of the ocean,[3] lending them the common name "mud crabs" (a name also shared by other organisms). They burrow into the sediment and feed on a variety of marine invertebrates.[3]
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species lists these subfamilies and genera:[1]
- Acantholobulus Felder & Martin, 2003
- †Balcacarcinus Karasawa & Schweitzer, 2006
- †Bittnereus Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2007
- †Carinocarcinus Lőrenthey, 1898
- Dyspanopeus Martin & Abele, 1986
- Eucratopsis Smith, 1869
- Eurypanopeus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
- Eurytium Stimpson, 1859
- †Glyphithyreus Reuss, 1859
- Glyptoplax Smith, 1870
- Hexapanopeus Rathbun, 1898
- †Laevicarcinus Lőrenthey in Lőrenthey & Beurlen, 1929
- Lithopanopeus Felder & Thoma, 2020[4]
- Lophopanopeus Rathbun, 1898
- Metopocarcinus Stimpson, 1860
- Milnepanopeus Thoma & Felder, 2012
- Neopanope A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
- Odontoplax Garth, 1986
- †Pakicarcinus Schweitzer, Feldmann & Gingerich, 2004
- †Palaeograpsus Bittner, 1875
- Panopeus H. Milne Edwards, 1834
- Rhithropanopeus Rathbun, 1898
- †Sereneopeus Collins, 2002
- †Serenopeus Collins, 2002
- †Zovocarcinus De Angeli & Garassino, 2014
