Portunidae | |
---|---|
Liocarcinus depurator | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Brachyura |
Superfamily: | Portunoidea |
Family: |
Portunidae Rafinesque, 1815 |
Subfamilies | |
|
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.
Portunidae | |
---|---|
Liocarcinus depurator | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Brachyura |
Superfamily: | Portunoidea |
Family: |
Portunidae Rafinesque, 1815 |
Subfamilies | |
|
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.