CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

8 Lawrence W. Powers
descriptive references, geographical and bathymetric distributions, habitats, and
bibliography with annotations and comments. Species are arranged alphabetically
vi^ithin genera and subgenera, as are genera within subfamilies.
Geographical ranges are based on published sources. If the identification of a
species or locality is doubtful, the localitj^ is preceded by a question mark. Place
names are listed from north to south and east to west; eastern Atlantic localities
follow western Atlantic; eastern Pacific and Indo-Pacific localities are cited last.
The presence of a species is not assumed in the absence of collection records from
large gaps in otherwise continuous distributions. For example, many species are
listed for the Carolinas and the east coast of Florida, without indicating presence
in Georgian waters.
Bathymetric ranges are presented in meters and in fathoms, in order to facilitate
comparisons wth new data as they appear in the literature. Depths are
omitted for semiterrestrial and terrestrial crabs.
Habitat descriptions include substrate types, terrain features (land crabs), associations
with other organisms (commensals, parasites), type of water (marine,
brackish), and general biotope (estuarine, marsh, rocky intertidal, offshore
benthic, etc.). Terrestrial habitats are usually described in greater detail than
aquatic habitats.
Remarks include literature citations on all aspects of the biolog}^ of the species.
In many cases, the available literatvire may consist only of one or a few published
descriptions or citations of the species. Regional lists include faunal surveys
in the Gulf of Mexico area. These lists may include data on the habitats,
seasonal occurrence, and biology of the crabs, or they may list only the species
names. Species identifications were usually verified by a specialist; most of the
lists were published. Other remarks include discussions of taxonomic revisions,
identification problems, comparisons with other related species, records of ovigerous
females, and ecological notes.
CLASSIFICATION
A review of attempts to classify decapod crustaceans, including arrangements
of brachyuran families, was presented by Glaessner (1969) in Treatise on
Invertebrate Paleontology. The scheme adopted for the Treatise, a compromise
of paleontological and zoological considerations, is used in the present catalogue.
Table I presents an outline of the extant families of Brachyura as recognized by
Glaessner (1969) and modified for the present work.
The family Hapalocarcinidae is not included in Glaessner (1969) and the
Palicidae is listed within the Brachyrhyncha as Superfamily Uncertain. Fenner
Chace, in a review of a preliminary'- manuscript of this catalogue, suggested the
placement of the hapalocarcinids as a separate section, although Verrill (1908,
p. 426) proposed the inclusion of these crabs as "a peculiar superfamily group,"
apparently among the Oxystomata. Chace also suggested the inclusion of the
Palicidae among the Xanthoidea as a matter of convenience. The freshwater
family of crabs, Potamidae, has been revised by Bott (1955b) and separated into
two families, the Pseudothelphusidae and the Trichodactylidae. The Prosopidae