Family CORYSTIDAE Samouelle, 1819

Gomeza bicornis [from A. Milne Edwards 1874: pl. 3 fig. 5]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Corystidae Samouelle, G. 1819. The Entomologist's Useful Compendium; or an introduction to the knowledge of British Insects, comprising the best means of obtaining and preserving them, and a description of the apparatus generally used; together with the genera of Linné, and modern methods of arranging the Classes Crustacea, Myriapoda, spiders, mites and insects, from the affinities and structure, according to the views of Dr. Leach. Also an explanation of the terms used in entomology; a calendar of the times of appearance and usual situations of near 3,000 species of British Insects; with instructions for collecting and fitting up objects for the microscope. London : Thomas Boys 496 pp. 12 pls. [82] [Name No. 357 on the Official List of Family-Group Names in Zoology, see International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1964. Opinion 689. Corystes Latreille, [1802–1803] (Crustacea, Decapoda): validated under the plenary powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 21(1): 220–221].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1964. Opinion 689. Corystes Latreille, [1802–1803] (Crustacea, Decapoda): validated under the plenary powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 21(1): 220-221.
• Nautilocorystidae Ortmann, A.E. 1893. Abtheilung: Brachyura (Brachyura genuina Boas), I. Unterabtheilung: Majoidea und Crancroidea, 1: Section Portuninea. Die Decapoden-Krebse des Strassburger Museums, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der von Herrn Dr Döderlein bei Japan und bei den Liu-Kiu-Inseln gesammelten und z.Z. im Strassburger Museum aufbewahrten Formen, VI. Theil. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 7: 23-88 pl. 3 [26, 28].
• Euryalidae Rathbun, M.J. 1930. The cancroid crabs of America of the families Euryalidae, Portunidae, Atelecyclidae, Cancridae and Xanthidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 152: i-xvi 1-609, text-figs 1-85 pls 1-230 [10].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Manning, R.B. & Holthuis, L.B. 1981. West African Brachyuran Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 306: i-xii, 1-379 figs 1-88, 2 appendices [72]

Introduction

This small family is represented in Australia by two species in two genera, Gomeza Gray, and Jonas Jacquinot & Lucas. The most remarkable feature of these crabs is the long respiratory tube, formed by the modified antennae, that allows the crab to bury completely in soft substrates. They are rarely encountered, but are sometimes caught in trawl and dredge catches. Sakai (1976: 303) provided a key that can be used to separate the two genera.

Diagnosis

Carapace longitudinally oval; dorsal surface convex from side to side, regions ill-defined; lateral margins of carapace convex, often armed with teeth or spines along entire length, or teeth confined to anterior half; front with two or three teeth or lobes; orbits more or less incomplete. Antennules fold longitudinally. Antennal flagellum often very long and setose; flagella interlock to form respiratory tube. Epistome absent; buccal frame elongate; third maxillipeds elongate, subpediform, extending almost to antennules. Chelipeds strongly sexually dimorphic. Legs typically gressorial, but dactylus of last pair sometimes natatorial. Thoracic sternum narrow, elongate, with sutures complete and parallel. Male abdomen of five segments; male and female abdomens with basal segments visible dorsally; female abdomen not covering genital openings. Male genital openings coxal; female openings sternal.

General References

Milne Edwards, A. 1874. Recherches sur la faune carcinologique de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Pt. 3. Groupe des Oxystomes. Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris 10: 39-58 pls 2, 3

Sakai, T. 1976. Crabs of Japan and the Adjacent Seas. Tokyo : Kodansha 3 vols xxix 773 pp. [English vol.]; 1–16, 251 pls [Plates vol.]; 461 pp. [Japanese vol.].

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