Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

<em>Notopoides latus</em> [from Henderson 1888: pl. 3 fig. 1]

Notopoides latus [from Henderson 1888: pl. 3 fig. 1]

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Family RANINIDAE De Haan, 1839


Compiler and date details

May 2012 - Peter Davie, Queensland Museum, Brisbane

Introduction

These odd-looking crabs are commonly termed `spanner crabs', alluding to the peculiar shape of the raninid claws, or `frog crabs' because the shape of some species is reminiscent of a frog. Spanner crabs live in soft substrates, mostly in relatively shallow coastal waters. They are highly specialised for burrowing, with flattened legs for digging, and a specialised respiratory system. They feed primarily on worms and molluscs. Most species are small and rarely encountered, but Ranina ranina grows to a large size and has become the basis of an important fishery, especially in south-eastern Queensland (Brown 1986).

Dawson & Yaldwyn (1994) published a very useful and extensive bibliography of the Raninidae, and Dawson & Yaldwyn (2000) provided a key to all raninid genera. Other important works that assist in the identification of Australian genera and species are Goeke (1986), Davie & Short (1989) and Guinot (1993).

 

Diagnosis

Carapace longitudinally elongate, more or less ovate, moderately broad to narrow, greatest breadth in anterior third. Buccal cavity elongate, triangular. Proximal articles of the exopodite and endopodite of first maxilliped forming a respiratory canal; inhalant branchial canals between first abdominal segment and coxae of fifth pereiopods. Third maxillipeds narrow, completely covering the buccal cavity. Chelipeds robust, subequal, chelae usually broad and flat, fingers nearly at right angles to hand. Walking legs with flattened propodi and dactyli. Thoracic sternum very narrow, especially sternites 5–7. Abdomen 7-segmented, narrow in both sexes, very short and incompletely folded; without uropods. Male and female genital openings coxal; spermathecae present. Male first gonopod short, either foliaceous and not completely closed, or a completely closed tube; second gonopod either long and ending in broad appendix masculina, or short and sigmoid, or with a very slightly styliform extremity.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
04-Jun-2012 04-Jun-2012 MOVED
10-May-2012 10-May-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)