Family HIPPIDAE Stimpson, 1858

Hippa australis [from Hale 1927: fig. 94]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Hippidae Stimpson, W. 1858. Crustacea Anomura: Prodromus descriptionis animalium evertebratorum, quae in Expeditione ad Oceanum Pacificum Septentrionalem, a Republica Federata missa, Cadwaladaro Ringgold et Johanne Rodgers Ducibus, observavit et descripsit W. Stimpson. Pars VII. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 10: 225-252 [229].

  Type genus:

   Hippa Fabricius, 1787.

Introduction

Hippids are relatively small, crab-like anomurans, commonly termed `mole' or `sand' crabs for their habit of burrowing into the substrate. Because of this habit they are encountered relatively uncommonly, and thus have been poorly studied. The Hippidae and Albuneidae are closely related and generally grouped together under the superfamily Hippoidea Latreille. The modern works of most relevance to the Australian fauna are those of Haig (1974a, 1974b). Three genera are known from the Indo-west Pacific: Hippa Fabricius, Mastigochirus Miers, and Emerita Scopoli, but only the first two have been recorded from Australia. Boyko & Harvey (1999) provided an annotated list and key to Indo-west Pacific genera and species.

Diagnosis

Carapace ovate, more or less expanded laterally; rostrum reduced or absent; ocular peduncles short or long, cornea distinct. Third maxillipeds sub-operculiform with enlarged, broadened merus; without exopods. First pereiopods not subchelate, dactyli cylindrical or lamellate. Dactyli of second, third and fourth pereiopods flattened. Endopod and exopod of uropod long, lamellar. Telson strongly elongated, lanceolate, apically acute. Female with three pairs of pleopods on abdominal somites 2–4. (Modified after Miyake 1978).

General References

Boyko, C.B. & Harvey, A.W. 1999. Crustacea Decapoda: Albuneidae and Hippidae of the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. pp. 379-406 in Crosnier, A. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 20. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 180: 1-588

Haig, J. 1974. A review of the Australian crabs of family Hippidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17(1): 175-189 figs 1-5 pl. 6

Haig, J. 1974. The Anomuran crabs of Western Australia: their distribution in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 14(2): 443-451

Miyake, S. 1978. The Crustacea Anomura of Sagami Bay. Tokyo : Biological Laboratory Imperial Household 200 pp. [English], 161 pp. [Japanese], 4 pls.

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