• Lithodiadae 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. [90] [invalid name; invalid original spelling (ICZN 1958)].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 511. Validation under the Plenary Powers of the generic name Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Class Crustacea, Order Decapoda) and designation under the same Powers of a type species for that genus in harmony with established practise. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 18(15): 257-272 [262].
• Ostracogastrica Brandt, J.F. 1850. Vorlaüfige Bemerkungen über eine aus zwei noch unbeschreibenen Gattungen und Arten gebildette Unterabtheilung (Hapalogastrica) der Tribus Lithodina, begleitet von einer Charakteristik der eben genannten Tribus der Anomuren. Bulletin de la Classe Physique-Mathematique Academie Imperiale des Sciences, St Petersbourg 8: 266-269 [268].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Macpherson, E. 1988. Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean. Monografías de Zoología Marina 2: 9-153 [17]

Introduction

The king crabs or stone crabs occur worldwide and are largely deep-water species, although several occur in shallow water at high latitudes, especially in the North Pacific. Around 135 species are known of which more than 60 occur in the Pacific Ocean. King crabs are best known from several commercially important northern hemisphere species. One species, Paralithodes camtschatica (Tilesius), for a long time has been the basis of a very important fishery in the North Pacific.

Lithodids differ from other paguroids in being crab-like, not inhabiting gastropod shells and in having a usually flattened, calcified pleon. Lithodids closely resemble brachyuran crabs but notably differ in having only three pairs of walking legs and an asymmetrical pleon in females. No other decapods more closely approximate the brachyuran form than do lithodids, being the paradigm example of carcinisation, that is, the evolution of a crab-like form from a non-crab ancestor. The family is divided into two subfamilies - only Lihodinae occur in Australia. Hapalogastrinae Brandt, 1850 is confined to the temperate North Pacific.

Lithodids are relatively rare in Australian waters, with only one species, Lithodes murrayi Henderson, 1888, moderately well known from southern Australian waters. Dawson & Yaldwyn (1985) and Dawson (1989) are invaluable reference works for the study of the Lithodidae. Ahyong (2010) revised the King Crabs of Australasian waters.

Diagnosis

Crab-like. Maxilliped 1 exopod with flagellum. Maxillipeds 3 widely separate at base. Epistomial spines absent. Chelipeds equal or unequal, right usually larger. Pereopods 2–4 ambulatory. Pleon asymmetrical in females, symmetrical in males; terga membranous or composed of calcified plates and nodules; pleonite 1 strongly reduced; pleonites 2–6 well-developed. Pleopods 2–5 unpaired in females, absent in males. Uropod absent.

Diagnosis References

Poore, G.C.B.,& Ahyong, S.T. 2023. Marine decapod Crustacea. A guide to families and genera of the World. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing pp. 928.

General References

Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194

Brandt, J.F. 1850. Vorlaüfige Bemerkungen über eine aus zwei noch unbeschreibenen Gattungen und Arten gebildette Unterabtheilung (Hapalogastrica) der Tribus Lithodina, begleitet von einer Charakteristik der eben genannten Tribus der Anomuren. Bulletin de la Classe Physique-Mathematique Academie Imperiale des Sciences, St Petersbourg 8: 266-269

Dawson, E.W. 1989. King crabs of the world (Crustacea: Lithodidae) and their fisheries. A comprehensive bibliography. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Miscellaneous Publication 101: 1-336

Dawson, E.W. & Yaldwyn, J.C. 1985. King crabs of the world or the world of king crabs: an overview of identity and distribution — with illustrated diagnostic keys to the genera of the Lithodidae and to the species of Lithodes. pp. 69-106 in Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Proceedings of the International King Crab Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A. January 22–24, 1985. Alaska Sea Grant Report 85–12 [November 1985]

Macpherson, E. 1988. Revision of the family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura) in the Atlantic Ocean. Monografías de Zoología Marina 2: 9-153

History of changes

• Lithodinae Samouelle, 1819 [nominal subfamily name].

Diagnosis

Rostrum usually well-developed, with basal spine and 1 or more additional spines. Pleon well calcified, consisting of calcified plates or numerous closely set spines.

Diagnosis References

Poore, G.C.B.,& Ahyong, S.T. 2023. Marine decapod Crustacea. A guide to families and genera of the World. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing pp. 928.

History of changes

• Lithodes Latreille, P.A. 1806. Genera Crustaceorum et Insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in famlias disposita, iconibus exemplisque plurimus explicita. Paris : König Vol. 1 xviii 302 pp. pls 1–16. [39] [gender masculine].

  Type species:

   Cancer maja Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy.
• Pseudolithodes Birstein & Vinogradov, 1972.

  Type species:

   Pseudolithodes zenkevitchi Birstein & Vinogradov, 1972 by original designation.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Macquarie Island Province (24), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Southwest Transition (7), West Tasmania Transition (9)

General References

Dawson, E.W. 1989. King crabs of the world (Crustacea: Lithodidae) and their fisheries. A comprehensive bibliography. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Miscellaneous Publication 101: 1-336 [317] (list of species and their distributions)

History of changes

• Lithodes australiensis Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [29].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P35607 ♂ (1065 m depth), East off Brush island, NSW, Australia [35°30'S, 150°52'E].

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria

IMCRA

Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37)

Ecological Descriptors

Deep water, marine.

History of changes

• Lithodes chaddertoni Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [37].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMNZ Cr11193 ♂, Broken Ridge, Indian Ocean, off SW Western Australia.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IMCRA

Southwest Transition (7)

Ecological Descriptors

Marine.

History of changes

• Lithodes longispina Sakai, T. 1971. Illustrations of 15 species of crabs of the family Lithodidae, two of which are new to science. Researches on Crustacea 4–5: 1-49 pls 1-26 [11 figs 2a,b, pls 4, 10, 11].

  Type data:

   Holotype KPMNH NH109003 ♂, off Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
  Paratype(s) OCMT ♀ (as allotype), off Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan; KPMNH NH 109044; KPMNH NH 109049.

Distribution

Extra Distribution Information

West Pacific (Japan, Guam, New Caledonia, New Zealand).

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13)

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope, oceanic province.

Extra Ecological Information

From 600–865 m depth.

General References

Dawson, E.W. & Yaldwyn, J.C. 1985. King crabs of the world or the world of king crabs: an overview of identity and distribution — with illustrated diagnostic keys to the genera of the Lithodidae and to the species of Lithodes. pp. 69-106 in Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Proceedings of the International King Crab Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A. January 22–24, 1985. Alaska Sea Grant Report 85–12 [November 1985] [101] (Australian distribution)

History of changes

• Lithodes macquariae Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [48].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P42530 ♂, off Garden Cove, Macquarie Island [54°30’S, 158°57’E].

  Type locality references:

  Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [48].

Distribution

Extra Distribution Information

Macquarie Ridge to Solander Trough and Campbell Plateau, New Zealand

IMCRA

Macquarie Island Province (24)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental shelf, continental slope, oceanic province.

Extra Ecological Information

From 120–705 m depth.

General References

Hale, H.M. 1941. Decapod Crustacea. Report of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition, 1928–31 4(9): 257-285 figs [272] (record from Macquarie Island)

History of changes

• Lithodes rachelae Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [55].

  Type data:

   Holotype SAMA C6357 ♂ (930-1087 m depth), Great Australian Bight, approx. 120 nautical miles SSE of Eucla, South Australia [33°37.2'S, 129°52.0'E].
  Paratype(s) SAMA C6853 ♀ (1500 m depth), SE of Albany, Western Australia; SAMA C6367 ♂, Great Australian Bight, approx. 222 km SSE of Eucla, South Australia.

Distribution

States

South Australia, Western Australia

IMCRA

Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32)

Ecological Descriptors

Continental slope.

Extra Ecological Information

Between 930-1500 m depth

History of changes

• Lithodes richeri Macpherson, E. 1990. Crustacea Decapoda: On a collection of Nephropidae from the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. pp. 289-329 figs 1-17 in Crosnier, A. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 6. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 145(A): 1-388 [219-221, figs 1a, 2b].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP Pg4269 ♂, New Caledonia.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Vanuatu, Lifou, Indonesia, New Caledonia and eastern Australia (Queensland - NSW)

IMCRA

Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental slope.

History of changes

• Neolithodes Milne Edwards, A. & Bouvier, E.L. 1894. Crustacés Décapodes provenant des campagnes du yacht l'Hirondelle 1886, 1887 et 1888. Brachyures et Anomoures. Résultats des Campagnes Scientifiques accomplies par le Prince Albert I. Monaco 7: 1-112, pls 1-11 [90].

  Type species:

   Lithodes grimaldii A. Milne Edwards & Bouvier, 1894 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans.

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), West Tasmania Transition (9)

History of changes

• Neolithodes bronwynae Ahyong, S.T. 2010. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 123: 3-194 [83-89].

  Type data:

   Holotype NIWA 49026 ♂ (1515-1530 m deoth), Whakatane Seamount [36°47.71-47.28'S, 177°25.53-25.65°].
  Paratype(s) NMNZ Cr11147 ♂ (1934-1920 m depth), Lord Howe Rise [32°03.97-02.26'S, 159°52.80-51.10'E].

Distribution

Extra Distribution Information

Known from the Whakatane Seamount and the Lord Howe Rise near Lord Howe Island (Tasman Sea). May also occur in New Caledonia (Ahyong, 2010: 89)

IMCRA

Lord Howe Province (14)

Ecological Descriptors

Continental rise.

Extra Ecological Information

1515-1920 m depth.

History of changes

• Neolithodes flindersi Ahyong, S.T. 2010. Neolithodes flindersi, a new species of king crab from southeastern Australia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae). Zootaxa 2362: 55-62.

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV (ex NMNZ Cr011763) ♂ (at about 900 m depth), NW Tasmania.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), West Tasmania Transition (9)

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, continental slope.

Extra Ecological Information

In Australia occurs between 887-1333 m depth.

History of changes