Family DROMIIDAE De Haan, 1833

Austrodromidia octodentata (half denuded to show carapace teeth) [from Rathbun 1923: pl. 41]

Petalomera pulchra [from Miers 1884: pl. 27 fig. A]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Dromiidae De Haan, W. 1833. Crustacea. i-xvii, i-xxxi, ix-xvi, 1-243 pls A-J, in Von Siebold, P.F. (ed.). Fauna Japonica sive Descriptio Animalium, quae in Itinere per Japoniam, Jussu et Auspiciis Superiorum, qui Summum in India Batava Imperium Tenent, Suscepto, Annis 1823–1830 Collegit, Notis, Observationibus et Adumbrationibus Illustravit. Leiden : Lugduni-Batavorum. [published from 1833–1850] [ix] [as Dromiacea, corrected to Dromiidae by Ortmann, A.E. 1892. Die Decapoden-Krebse des Strassburger Museums, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der von Herrn Dr. Döderlein bei Japan und bei den Liu-Kiu-Inseln gesammelten und zur Zeit im Strassburger Museum auf bewahrten Formen. V. Theil. Hippidea, Dromiidea und Oxystomata. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Systematik, Ökologie, und Geographie der Tiere 6: 532–588 pl. 26 (541, 543); Name No. 356 on the Official List of Family-Group Names in Zoology, see International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1964. Opinion 688. Dromia Weber, 1795 (Crustacea, Decapoda): designation of a type species under the Plenary Powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 21: 16–19].

  Secondary source:

   Ortmann, A.E. 1892. Die Decapoden-Krebse des Strassburger Museums, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der von Herrn Dr. Döderlein bei Japan und bei den Liu-Kiu-Inseln gesammelten und zur Zeit im Strassburger Museum auf bewahrten Formen. V. Theil. Hippidea, Dromiidea und Oxystomata. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 6: 532-588 pl. 26; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1964. Opinion 688. Dromia Weber, 1795 (Crustacea, Decapoda): designation of a type species under the Plenary Powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 21: 16-19.

Introduction

Dromiids are commonly referred to as 'sponge crabs' because of the widespread habit of hollowing out a piece of sponge and carrying it over the top of the carapace and legs so as to be invisible from above. This is done using the last two pairs of legs which are armed with sharp pincer-like claws, and turned-back to be carried dorsally. Species in a few genera are known to carry other items such as dead bivalve shells.

McLay (1993) was the first major revisionary work since that of Ihle (1913). He described 11 new genera, extending the total to 30. McLay (1993) provided a key to all genera and species at the time, and later reviewed the Australian fauna in McLay & Hosie (2022) with the description of one genus, two species and first records for some genera.

Diagnosis

Carapace typically convex and subglobular, variously shaped from ovoid, to subcircular, to pentagonal. Uropods always present (except in Ascidiophilus) in form of dorsal plates, sometimes intercalated laterally, rarely ventral. Lateral linea present. Orbit, antennular and antennal fossae defined. Third maxilliped operculiform. Last two pairs of legs smaller, similar in size, carried subdorsally; armed with a chela formed by a distal propodal spine and dactylus. Abdomen of both sexes of seven segments (including telson), generally without pleurae; males rarely with vestigial pleopods on segments 3–5; first segment of females with pair of uniramous pleopods. Abdomen usually with a retaining mechanism, often involving dorsal uropods. Penis forming a long penial tube. Spermathecal apertures small and rounded.

General References

Ihle, J.E.W. 1913. Die Decapoda Brachyura der Siboga-Expedition. I. Dromiacea. Siboga-Expéditie Report 39(b): 1-96 pls 1-4

McLay, C.L. 1993. Crustacea Decapoda: The Sponge Crabs (Dromiidae) of New Caledonia and the Philippines with a review of the genera. pp. 111-251 in Crosnier, A. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 10. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 156: 1-491

McLay, C.L., & Hosie, A.M. 2022. The sponge crabs of Western Australia and the Northwest Shelf with descriptions of new genera and species (Crustacea: Brachyura: Dromiidae). Zootaxa 5129: 301-355

History of changes