Family THALASSINIDAE Latreille, 1831

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• Thalassinidae Latreille, P.A. 1831. Cours d'entomologie ou de l'histoire naturelle des Crustacés, des Arachnides, des Myriopodes et des Insectes. Exposition méthodique des ordres, des familles et des genres des trois premières classes. Vol. XII 568 + 26 pp. [377] [name placed on the Official List of Family Names in Zoology, see International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1956. Opinion 434. Use of the Plenary Powers to secure that the name Upegebia [Leach], [1814], and Processa Leach, [1815], shall be the oldest names for the genera in question and that the family-group names based on these generic names shall be the oldest available names for the family-group taxa concerned. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 14: 403–424].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1956. Opinion 434. Use of the Plenary Powers to secure that the name Upegebia [Leach], [1814], and Processa Leach, [1815], shall be the oldest names for the genera in question and that the family-group names based on these generic names shall be the oldest available names for the family-group taxa concerned. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 14: 403-424.

Introduction

The family Thalassinidae comprises a single genus, Thalassina, with two currently recognised extant species. At present, only Thalassina squamifera is recorded from Australia. However, in a revision of the genus Thalassina underway (de Saint Laurent & Ngoc-Ho, pers. comm.), a second species, Thalassina emerii Bell, 1844, will be recognised from NW Australia. Previously, this species was only known from fossil material.

Thalassinids are commonly known as mud or mangrove lobsters and are responsible for considerable bioturbation in tropical mangrove swamps through construction of their large and characteristic mud mounds. The mounds of the Australian Thalassina squamifera are considerably smaller than those of the SE Asian T. anomala. Poore & Griffin (1979) and Dworschak (1992) should be consulted for specific differences.

Diagnosis

Reptant decapods without a thelycum in the female. Carapace posterior margin with lateral lobes; linea thalassinica present; eyestalks cylindrical; antenna 1 with article 3 about as long as article 2; maxilla 2 scaphognathite with thickened setae on posterior margin; gill elements irregular, filamentous proximally and plate-like distally. Pereiopods 1–5 with basis and ischium fused; pereiopods 1 and 2 subchelate; pereiopod 2 always with dense row of long setae on lower margin; pereiopod 3 simple, without arthrobranch on thoracomere 1; pereiopods 3 and 4 propodus with spiniform seta; pereiopods 2–4 and abdominal somites without setal-rows; pleuron of abdominal somite 1 produced; pleopods 3–5 without appendix interna (vestigial on male pleopod 2); pleopod 2 similar to pleopods 3–5; uropodal rami linear. (After Poore 1994).

General References

Bell, T. 1844. On the Thalasina Emerii, a fossil crustacean, forwarded by Mr. W.S. MacLeay, from New Holland. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 4(2): 360-362 1 fig.

Dworschak, P.C. 1992. The Thalassinidea in the Museum of Natural History, Vienna; with some remarks on the biology of the species. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 93: 189-238

Poore, G.C.B. 1994. A phylogeny of the families of Thalassinidea (Crustacea: Decapoda) with keys to families and genera. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 54: 79-120

Poore, G.C.B. & Griffin, D.J.G. 1979. The Thalassinidea (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 32(6): 217-321

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