Pleistacantha
| Pleistacantha | |
|---|---|
| Pleistacantha kannu A. male, B. female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Oregoniidae |
| Genus: | Miers, 1879 |
| Type species | |
| Pleistacantha sanctijohannis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Pleistacantha is a genus of crabs in the family Oregoniidae.[3] The genus occurs throughout many coasts in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.[2]
Description
Pleistacantha has a pyriform carapace which is longer than it is wide – at most 146 mm (5.7 in) long.[4] The carapace is densely covered by spines and granules, and its walking legs are lined with spines and spinules.[4] Its first pair of gonopods is slender and, like in all oregoniid crabs, features a longitudinal groove.[5] Males have a tapered abdomen, and depending on the species, the sixth abdominal segment and the telson may be either separate or fused together.[4]
Taxonomy
Pleistacantha was described by zoologist Edward J. Miers in 1879.[1] Its name is derived from the Greek roots pleistos (πλεῖστος), a superlative meaning "many", and acantha (άκανθα), meaning "spine".[1] In 2013, evidence that the family Inachoididae was not monophyletic prompted carcinologists to move Pleistacantha and several other genera into the family Oregoniidae.[6]
Species
The following species are recognized in this genus:[3][2]
- Pleistacantha cervicornis Ihle & Ihle-Landenberg, 1931
- Pleistacantha exophthalmus Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1982
- Pleistacantha griffini Ahyong & T Lee, 2006
- Pleistacantha kannu Ng, Ravinesh & Ravichandran, 2017
- Pleistacantha maxima Ahyong & T Lee, 2006
- Pleistacantha moseleyi (Miers, 1885)
- Pleistacantha naresii (Miers, 1885)
- Pleistacantha ori Ahyong & Ng, 2007
- Pleistacantha oryx Ortmann, 1893
- Pleistacantha pungens (Wood-Mason, 1891)
- Pleistacantha rubida (Alcock, 1895)
- Pleistacantha sanctijohannis Miers, 1879
- Pleistacantha stilipes Ahyong, Chen & Ng, 2005
References
- ^ a b c Miers 1879, p. 24.
- ^ a b c "Pleistacantha Miers, 1879". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b Ahyong, Shane T. (19 July 2024). "Pleistacantha Miers, 1879". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Poore & Ahyong 2023, p. 645.
- ^ Poore & Ahyong 2023, pp. 639, 645.
- ^ Poore & Ahyong 2023, p. 578.
Works cited
- Miers, Edward J. (1 June 1879). "On a collection of Crustacea made by Capt. H.C. St. John, R.N., in the Corean and Japanese Seas. With an appendix by Capt. H.C. St. John" (PDF). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London: 18–61.
- Poore, Gary C. B.; Ahyong, Shane T. (2023). "Anomura". Marine Decapod Crustacea: A Guide to Families and Genera of the World. CRC Press. pp. 311–317. ISBN 978-1-4863-1178-1.
Further reading
- Griffin, D.J.G; Tranter, H.A. (1986). The Decapoda Brachyura of the Siboga Expedition – 8. Majidae. Sigoba Expedition. Vol. 148. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-07146-9.
- Davie, Peter J.F. (2002). Zoological Catalogue of Australia: Malacostraca: Eucarida (Part 2). Vol. 19.3B. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-06792-2.