Portunidae
Encyclopedia
Portunidae is a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of crab
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 which contains the swimming crabs.

Description

Portunid crabs are characterised by the flattening of the fifth pair of legs into broad paddles, which are used for swimming
Aquatic locomotion
Swimming is biologically propelled motion through a liquid medium. Swimming has evolved a number of times in a range of organisms ranging from arthropods to fish to molluscs.-Evolution of swimming:...

. This ability, together with their strong, sharp claws, allows many species to be fast and aggressive predators.

Examples

Its members include many well-known shoreline crabs, such as the European shore crab (Carcinus maenas
Carcinus maenas
Carcinus maenas is a common littoral crab, and an important invasive species, listed among the 100 "world's worst alien invasive species". It is native to the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but has colonised similar habitats in Australia, South Africa, South America and both Atlantic and...

), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), velvet crab (Necora puber
Velvet crab
The velvet crab , Necora puber, is a species of crab. It is the largest swimming crab found in British coastal waters, with a carapace width of up to , and the only species in the genus Necora. The body is coated with short hairs, giving the animal a velvety texture, hence the common name...

) and lady crab (Ovalipes ocellatus). Two genera in the family are contrastingly named Scylla
Scylla (crab)
Scylla is a genus of swimming crabs, comprising four species, of which S. serrata is the most widespread. They are found across the Indo-West Pacific. The four species are:*Scylla olivacea *Scylla paramamosain Estampador, 1949...

and Charybdis
Charybdis (genus)
Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for whirlpool.-Species:The genus Charybdis contains the following species:Subgenus Charybdis De Haan, 1833*Charybdis acuta Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for...

; the former contains the economically important species black crab (Scylla serrata
Scylla serrata
Scylla serrata is an economically important crab species found in the estuaries and mangroves of Africa, Australia and Asia. In their most common form, the shell colour varies from a deep, mottled green to very dark brown...

) and Scylla paramamosain
Scylla paramamosain
Scylla paramamosain is a mud crab commonly consumed in southeast Asia.-Distribution:Scylla paramamosain is found in Japan, Taiwan, China , Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia. It is now produced by aquaculture farms in southern Vietnam.-Taxonomy:Scylla paramamosain was described by Eulogio P...

.

Taxonomy

The circumscription
Circumscription (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....

 of the family varies, with some authors treating "Carcinidae", "Catoptridae" and "Macropipidae" as separate families, and others considering them subfamilies of a wider Portunidae. Swimming crabs reach their greatest species diversity in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 and Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

s.

Extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...

 genera are marked with an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...

.

Caphyrinae Guérin, 1832
  • Caphyra Guérin, 1832
  • Coelocarcinus Edmondson, 1930
  • Lissocarcinus
    Lissocarcinus
    Lissocarcinus is a genus of crabs containing the following nine species :*Lissocarcinus arkati Kemp, 1923*Lissocarcinus boholensis Semper, 1880*Lissocarcinus echinodisci Derijard, 1968*Lissocarcinus elegans Boone, 1934...

    Adams & White, 1849
  • MioxaivaMüller, 1978

Carcininae MacLeay, 1838
  • Carcinus
    Carcinus
    Carcinus is a genus of crabs, which includes Carcinus maenas, an important invasive species, and C. aestuarii, a species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.-Carcinus maenas:...

    Leach, 1814
  • CicarnusKarasawa & Fudouji, 2000
  • Echinolatus Davie & Crosnier, 2006
  • MiopipusMüller, 1984
  • Portumnus Leach, 1814
  • Xaiva MacLeay, 1838

Carupinae Paul’son, 1875
  • Carupa Dana, 1851
  • Catoptrus A. Milne-Edwards, 1870
  • Libystes
    Libystes
    Libystes is a genus of crabs, containing six species:*Libystes edwardsi Alcock, 1899*Libystes lepidus Takeda & Miyake, 1970*Libystes nitidus A. Milne-Edwards, 1867*Libystes paucidentatus Stephenson & Campbell, 1960...

    A. Milne-Edwards, 1867
  • NeptocarcinusLőrenthey, 1898
  • RakosiaMüller, 1984
  • Richerellus Manning & Felder, 1989

Podophthalminae Dana, 1851
  • Euphylax Stimpson, 1860
  • Podophthalmus Lamarck, 1801
  • PsygmophthalmusSchweitzer, Iturralde-Vinent, Hetler & Velez-Juarbe, 2006
  • SandomingiaRathbun, 1919
  • SaratunusCollins, Lee & Noad, 2003
  • ViaophthalmusKarasawa, Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2008

Polybiinae Ortmann, 1893
  • Bathynectes Stimpson, 1871
  • Benthochascon Alcock & Anderson, 1899
  • BoschettiaBusulini, Tessier, Beschin & De Angeli, 2003
  • Brusinia Števčić, 1991
  • Coenophthalmus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879
  • FalsiportunitesCollins & Jakobsen, 2003
  • GecchelicarcinusBeschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2007
  • Liocarcinus
    Liocarcinus
    Liocarcinus is a genus of crabs, which includes the flying crab, the vernal crab and several other swimming crabs. It includes 12 species :*Liocarcinus bolivari...

    Stimpson, 1871
  • Macropipus Prestandrea, 1833
  • MaeandricampusSchweitzer & Feldmann, 2002
  • MegokkosSchweitzer & Feldmann, 2000
  • MinohellenusKarasawa, 1990
  • Necora Holthuis, 1987
  • Nectocarcinus A. Milne-Edwards, 1860
  • OphthalmoplaxRathbun, 1935
  • Ovalipes
    Ovalipes
    Ovalipes is a genus of crabs in the family Portunidae, containing 11 extant species:*Ovalipes australiensis Stephenson & Rees, 1968*Ovalipes catharus *Ovalipes elongatus Stephenson & Rees, 1968...

    Rathbun, 1898a
  • Parathranites
    Parathranites
    Parathranites is a genus of crabs. It contains the following species:*Parathranites granosus Crosnier, 2002*Parathranites hexagonus Rathbun, 1906*Parathranites intermedius Crosnier, 2002*Parathranites orientalis...

    Miers, 1886
  • PleolobitesRemy, 1960
  • Polybius Leach, 1820
  • PororariaGlaessner, 1980
  • PortufuriaCollins, Schulz & Jakobsen, 2005
  • PortunitesBell, 1858
  • ProterocarcinusFeldmann, Casadío, Chirino-Gálvez & Aguirre-Urreta, 1995
  • Raymanninus Ng, 2000
  • RhachiosomaWoodward, 1871

Portuninae Rafinesque, 1815
  • AcanthoportunusSchweitzer & Feldmann, 2002
  • Arenaeus Dana, 1851
  • Atoportunus Ng & Takeda, 2003
  • Callinectes
    Callinectes
    Callinectes is a genus of crabs, containing 16 species, including the Atlantic blue crab, C. sapidus:*Callinectes affinis Fausto, 1980*Callinectes amnicola *Callinectes arcuatus Ordway, 1863...

    Stimpson, 1860
  • Carupella Lenz in Lenz & Strunck, 1914
  • ColneptunusLőrenthey in Lőrenthey & Beurlen, 1929
  • Cronius
    Cronius
    Cronius is a genus of crabs containing the two species Cronius ruber and Cronius tumidulus....

    Stimpson, 1860
  • EuronectesKarasawa, Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2008
  • Laleonectes Manning & Chace, 1990
  • Lupella Rathbun, 1897
  • Lupocyclus
    Lupocyclus
    Lupocyclus is a genus of crabs, containing six species:*Lupocyclus inaequalis *Lupocyclus mauriciensis Ward, 1942*Lupocyclus philippinensis Semper, 1880*Lupocyclus quinquedentatus Rathbun, 1906...

    Adams & White, 1849
  • NecronectesA. Milne-Edwards, 1881
  • Portunus
    Portunus
    Portunus is a genus of crab which includes several important species for fisheries, such as the blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus and the Gazami crab, P. trituberculatus . The genus Portunus contains more than 90 extant species and over 40 further species known only from fossils ....

    Weber, 1795
  • PseudoachelousPortell & Collins, 2004
  • RathbunellaCollins in Collins, Portell & Donovan, 2009
  • Sanquerus Manning, 1989
  • Scylla
    Scylla (crab)
    Scylla is a genus of swimming crabs, comprising four species, of which S. serrata is the most widespread. They are found across the Indo-West Pacific. The four species are:*Scylla olivacea *Scylla paramamosain Estampador, 1949...

    De Haan, 1833

Thalamitinae Paul’son, 1875
  • Charybdis
    Charybdis (genus)
    Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for whirlpool.-Species:The genus Charybdis contains the following species:Subgenus Charybdis De Haan, 1833*Charybdis acuta Charybdis is a genus of swimming crabs in the family Portunidae; "Charybdis" is Greek for...

    De Haan, 1833
  • EocharybdisBeschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2002
  • Gonioinfradens Leene, 1938
  • Thalamita Latreille, 1829
  • Thalamitoides A. Milne-Edwards, 1869

incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...

  • EnoplonotusA. Milne-Edwards, 1860
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