Family MICTYRIDAE Dana, 1851

Mictyris longicarpus [from McNeill 1926: pl. 9 fig. 1]

Museums

Regional Maps

• Mictyridae Dana, J.D. 1851. Crustacea Grapsoidea, (Cyclometopa, Edwardsii): Conspectus Crustacearum quae in Orbis Terrarum circumnavigatione, Carolo Wilkes e classe Reipublicae Foederatae Duce, lexit et descriptsit J.D. Dana. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 5: 247-254 [247] [as Myctiridae; spelling emended to Mictyridae by Alcock, A. 1900. Materials for a Carcinological Fauna of India. No. 6. The Brachyura Catametopa, or Grapsoidea. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 69(Pt 2 No. 3): 279–456 (383)].

  Secondary source:

   Alcock, A. 1900. Materials for a Carcinological Fauna of India. No. 6. The Brachyura Catametopa, or Grapsoidea. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 69(Pt 2 No. 3): 279-456.

Introduction

The brightly coloured mictyrids are perhaps the best known of Australian intertidal crabs because of their remarkable habit of forming huge armies that swarm over intertidal muddy-sand flats. This behaviour has led to their popular name of 'Soldier Crabs'. The family comprises a single genus Mictyris, confined to the central Indo-west Pacific region, with five described species from Australia (see McNeill 1926; Takeda 1978). Two species from the Northern Territory and Western Australia, first identified as new by Davie (1982, 1985), were described recently.

Diagnosis

Carapace deep, globular, longer than wide; dorsal surface with cervical and cardiobranchial grooves well defined; eyes exposed, orbits obsolescent, small post-ocular spine. Interantennular septum very narrow; antennular flagellum rudimentary, folding almost vertically. Antennae small. Buccal cavern large, oval; completely closed by convex, expanded, foliaceous third maxillipeds. Third maxilliped with palp articulating at antero-external angle of merus; exopod slender, concealed, without flagellum. Chelipeds elongate, slender, subequal; similar in males and females. Walking legs slender. Tympana not present on meri of walking legs or on sternum. Male abdomen with all segments distinct, broad, similar to female; base entirely covering sternum. Male and female genital openings sternal.

General References

Davie, P.J.F. 1982. A preliminary checklist of Brachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda) associated with Australian Mangrove Forests. Operculum 5(4): 204-207

Davie, P.J.F. 1985. The biogeography of littoral crabs (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura) associated with tidal wetlands in tropical and sub-tropical Australia. In, Bardsley, K.N., Davie, J.D.S. & Woodroffe, C.D. (eds). Coasts and Tidal Wetlands of the Australian Monsoon Region. Mangrove Monograph No. 1. Darwin : Australian National University North Australia Research Unit.

McNeill, F.A. 1926. Studies in Australian Carcinology. No 2. A revision of the family Mictyridae, the status and synonymy of the genus Megametope and its contained species. Records of the Australian Museum 15(1): 100-131 4 figs pls 9, 10

Takeda, M. 1978. Soldier Crabs from Australia and Japan. Bulletin of the National Science Museum, Tokyo A (Zool.) 4(1): 31-38

History of changes