Subfamily Epialtinae MacLeay, 1838

Xenocarcinus tuberculatus [from A. Milne Edwards 1872: pl. 12 fig. 1]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Epialtinae MacLeay, 1838.
• Huenidae MacLeay, W.S. 1838. On the Brachyurous Decapod Crustacea brought from the Cape by Dr Smith. pp. 53–71 pl. 3 in, Illustrations of the Annulosa of South Africa; being a portion of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa, under the direction of Dr Andrew Smith, in the years 1834, 1835, and 1836; fitted out by "The Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central Africa". London. 75 pp. 4 pls [56].
• Menaethinae Dana, J.D. 1851. On the classification of the maioid Crustacea or Oxyrhyncha. American Journal of Science and Arts 2 11: 425-434 [433].
• Acanthonychinae Stimpson, W. 1871. Preliminary report on the Crustacea dredged in the Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida, by L.F. de Pourtales, Assist. U.S. Coast Survey. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 2: 109-160 [127].
• Alcockiini Števčić, Z. 2005. The reclassification of Brachyuran Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Natura Croatica 14(1): 1–159.

Introduction

The most obvious character unifying the members of this subfamily is the sunken orbit, and short, often immobile, eyestalks. A key to Indo-west Pacific genera was provided by Griffin & Tranter (1986: 3–5), to which must be added Griffinia Richer de Forges, 1994. Of the 23 genera in the subfamily, nine are known from Australian waters.

Diagnosis

Eyes without true orbits; intercalated spine not present. Eyestalks short, occasionally obsolescent, scarcely movable; either concealed beneath a forwardly produced supra-ocular spine, or sunk in the sides of a huge beak-like rostrum; postocular spine or process sometimes present but not excavated to receive the retracted eye. Basal antennal article truncate, triangular, always fused distally. Merus of third maxilliped as wide as ischium. Dactyli of the walking legs prehensile or subchelate; last three pairs of legs often disproportionately short compared with the first pair. Male abdomen not terminally broadened, seventh segment sub-triangular and not inserted deeply into sixth segment. Male first gonopod usually slender, weakly curved; aperture usually terminal, apex simple, curved or expanded into lobes, rarely with a slender process. (After Griffin & Tranter 1986).

General References

Griffin, D.J.G. & Tranter, H. 1986. The Decapoda Brachyura of the Siboga Expedition. Part VIII. Majidae. Siboga Expéditie Monographie 39(c4): 1-335, 112 text-figs 22 pls

Richer de Forges, B. 1994. A new genus of deep-sea majid crab: Griffinia gen. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura). The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 11: 65-72

History of changes