Family HOMOLODROMIIDAE Alcock, 1900

Dicranodromia baffini, a non-Australian species, but very similar to the Australian species [Davie 2002: 238 (from Alcock & Anderson 1899: pl. 2 fig. 1)]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Homolodromidae Alcock, A. 1900. Materials for a Carcinological Fauna of India. No. 5. Brachyura Primigenia or Dromiacea. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 68(2): 123-169 pls 3-5 [123, 127, 130] [as Homolodromidae].

Introduction

This small family of rarely collected deep water crabs is represented in Australian waters by only three species in two genera.

Diagnosis

Carapace longer than broad, elongate, relatively narrow; cervical and branchiocardiac grooves present. Third maxilliped pediform. Branchiostegite always decalcified and membranous. Linea anomurica (lateral suture line) absent. Orbit, antennular and antennal fossae not or hardly defined. Pereiopods 1–3 with mastigobranchs. Fourth and fifth pereiopods reduced, placed sub-dorsally; chelate (Homolodromia), or subchelate (Dicranodromia); carrying behaviour not known. Anterior part of thoracic sternum (sternites 1–3) very narrow. Male and female abdomens 7-segmented; with distinct pleurae; males often with vestigial pleopods on segments 3–5. Telson elongate; uropods represented by small platelets intercalated at internal face of abdominal segment 6, not visible dorsally. Spermathecal apertures small, rounded, at level of genital openings. Female first abdominal segment with pair of uniramous pleopods. Chelipeds with dactylus closing into cleft tip of fixed finger. (After Sakai 1976; Guinot 1995).

General References

Guinot, D. 1995. Crustacea Decapoda Brachyura: Révision des Homolodromiidae Alcock, 1900. pp. 155-282 in Crosnier, A. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 13. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 163: 1-517

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.].

History of changes