Ocypodidae
Encyclopedia
Ocypodidae is a family of crab
s that includes the ghost crab
s and fiddler crab
s. Other genera previously included in the family are now treated as members of separate families in the superfamily Ocypodoidea
, such as Ucididae, Dotillidae
and Macrophthalmidae.
They currently include two subfamilies with each one genus:
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s that includes the ghost crab
Ghost crab
Ghost crabs, also called sand crabs, are crabs of the genus Ocypode, common shore crabs in many countries. Characteristics of the genus include one claw being larger than the other, but this difference is not as marked as in male fiddler crabs....
s and fiddler crab
Fiddler crab
A fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca. As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed...
s. Other genera previously included in the family are now treated as members of separate families in the superfamily Ocypodoidea
Ocypodoidea
Ocypodoidea is a superfamily of crabs, named after the genus Ocypode. It contains over 300 extant species in the following eight families:* Camptandriidae Stimpson, 1858* Dotillidae Stimpson, 1858* Heloeciidae H. Milne-Edwards, 1852...
, such as Ucididae, Dotillidae
Dotillidae
Dotillidae is a family of crabs. It comprises 59 species, nearly half of which are in the genus Ilyoplax. The two genera Scopimera and Dotilla are collectively the sand bubbler crabs, which leave conspicuous collections of sand pellets on sandy beaches across the tropical and sub-tropical...
and Macrophthalmidae.
They currently include two subfamilies with each one genus:
- OcypodinaeGhost crabGhost crabs, also called sand crabs, are crabs of the genus Ocypode, common shore crabs in many countries. Characteristics of the genus include one claw being larger than the other, but this difference is not as marked as in male fiddler crabs....
Rafinesque, 1815 - UcinaeFiddler crabA fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca. As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed...
Dana, 1851