Family AXIIDAE Huxley, 1879

Acanthaxius polychaetes

© Copyright Sakai 1994:11

Museums

Regional Maps

• Axiidae Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788 [785].
• Coralaxiinae Sakai, K. & de Saint Laurent, M. 1989. A check list of Axiidae (Decapoda, Crustacea, Thalassinidea, Anomura), with remarks and in addition descriptions of one new subfamily, eleven new genera and two new species. Naturalists 3: 1-104 [10].
• Eiconaxiopsididae Sakai, K. 2011. Axioidea of the world and a reconsideration of the Callianassoidea (Decapoda, Thalassinidea, Callianassida). Crustaceana Monographs 13: 1-616 [289].

  Type genus:

   Eiconaxiopsis Sakai, 2011.
• Calocarididae Ortmann, 1891.

  Type genus:

   Calocaris Bell, 1853.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Poore, G.C.B. 2017. Synonymy and problematic species of Eiconaxius Spence Bate, 1888, with descriptions of new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea: Axiidae). Zootaxa 4231(3): 364–376 [Date published 13 Feb 2017] [364]

Introduction

This family of thalassinid lobsters is found worldwide in both tropical and temperate waters. Species can be found from the intertidal zone down to at least 2500 metres depth, and while most are free living in burrows in the substrate, some also live commensally. The most important recent work dealing with Australian axiids is that of Sakai (1994). Poore (1994) provided a key to genera.

Axiidae have received particular attention from taxonomists in recent years, resulting in description of many new genera (in particular see Kensley 1989; Sakai & de Saint Laurent 1989; Sakai 1994). Sakai & de Saint Laurent (1989) recognised a new subfamily, Coralaxiinae, for Coralaxius Kensley & Gore, but this genus is not represented in Australia. Following their classificatory system, all the Australian genera would be included in the Axiinae.

Diagnosis

Reptant decapods without a thelycum in the female. Carapace posterior margin with lateral lobes; linea thalassinica absent; rostrum usually spinose, apically acute; eye usually pigmented; eyestalks cylindrical; antenna 1 with article 3 about as long as article 2; maxilla 2 scaphognathite with 1–2 long setae on posterior margin; gill elements paired. Pereiopods 1–5 with basis and ischium fused; pereiopod 1 chelate, carpus-propodus articulation slight; pereiopod 2 chelate; always with dense row of long setae on lower margin; pereiopod 3 simple; pereiopod 4 simple or subchelate, coxa more or less cylindrical; propodus of pereiopods 3 and 4 linear or broadened; pereiopod 5 chelate or subchelate, without arthrobranch on thoracomere 1; pleuron of abdominal somite 1 produced; abdominal somite 2 less than twice as long as 1; pleopods with appendix interna; pleopod 2 similar to pleopod 3–5; male pleopod 2 endopod foliaceous with small appendix masculina attached mesially; exopods of pleopods 2–5 not laterally lobed; uropodal endopod ovate. Pereiopods 2–4 without setal-rows, abdominal somite 6 with longitudinal setal-row. (After Poore 1994).

General References

Kensley, B. 1989. New genera in the Thalassinidean families Calocarididae and Axiidae. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 102(4): 960-967

Poore, G.C.B. 1994. A phylogeny of the families of Thalassinidea (Crustacea: Decapoda) with keys to families and genera. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 54: 79-120

Sakai, K. 1994. Eleven species of Australian Axiidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea) with descriptions of one new genus and five new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 11: 175-202

Sakai, K. & de Saint Laurent, M. 1989. A check list of Axiidae (Decapoda, Crustacea, Thalassinidea, Anomura), with remarks and in addition descriptions of one new subfamily, eleven new genera and two new species. Naturalists 3: 1-104

History of changes