An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea

inoidea is difficult, because they do not clearly enter
in a major group. You write that, for Spears herself
(p. 69), ‘‘molecular data seem to indicate a placement
[of Cyclodorippoidea] somewhere between
the raninids and the higher eubrachyurans.’’ So, the
molecular data exactly give the same results that
the morphological and ontogenetic ones. The two
groups Raninoidea and Cyclodorippoidea (the last
name is used by convenience, but perhaps they
form three distinct families, see Tavares) seem
apart, but where is the best way?
Submitted by Danièle Guinot,
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
DECAPODA: BRACHYURA
Evidence from morphology and larval development
points to the polyphyletic nature of the Trapeziidae.
There are three separate groups: one comprises Trapezia,
Quadrella, Hexagonalia, Calocarcinus, Philippicarcinus
and Sphenomerides, a second Tetralia
and Tetraloides, and a third Domecia, Jonesius,
Palmyria and Maldivia.
Submitted by Peter Castro,
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
DECAPODA: BRACHYURA
I disagree that all Brachyura with female gonopores
on P3 coxa and with spermathecae at the extremities
of thoracic sutures 7/8 are separated in two
different major sections, Dromiacea and Eubrachyura,
with the Raninoidea and Cyclodorippoidea
distributed in a basal group inside the Eubrachyura.
In that case, how to make a definition of both
Dromiacea and Eubrachyura as a whole? The Podotremata
may receive all Brachyura with female
gonopores on P3 coxa and with spermathecae at
the extremities of thoracic sutures 7/8, i.e., two different
apertures. The Eubrachyura may receive all
Brachyura with a sternal location of female gonopores
(vulvae on the thoracic sternum, sternite 6);
there is now a sole female orifice for reproduction
(egg laying, intromission of male pleopod, and storage
of the spermatozoas). Another synapomorphy
(among others) of the assemblage Heterotremata-
Thoracotremata is the morphology of the first male
pleopod, which is completely closed and provided
with two distinct basal foramina (instead of only
one in the Podotremata). To concile the evident
apart position of the Raninoidea and Cyclodorippoidea
(but, perhaps consider three distinct families:
Cyclodorippidae, Cymonomidae, Phyllotymolinidae),
I suggest to range them among the Podotremata
in Archaeobrachyura Guinot, 1977 emend.
(i.e. with the exclusion of the Homoloidea).
Submitted by Danièle Guinot,
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
DECAPODA: BRACHYURA: DROMIACEA
I disagree that the section Dromiacea contains the
Homoloidea. The Dromiacea and Homoloidea are
two different lineages. I suggest to consider a Section
Podotremata, with three subsections: Subsection
Dromiacea, containing two superfamilies
Homolodromioidea (Homolodromiidae) and
Dromioidea (Dromiidae, Dynomenidae); Subsection
Homoloidea (Homolidae, Latreilliidae, Poupiniidae);
Subsection Archaeobrachyura (Cyclodorippidae,
Cymonomidae, Phyllotymolinidae, and
Raninidae). The monophyly of the Dromiacea is
well supported by many features; the same for
Homoloidea. I recognize that the monophyly of the
Archaeobrachyura emend. (without the Homoloidea)
is not so well supported and that these crabs
show puzzling features, but they are all very specialized
and modified by the burrowing life. Their
attribution to the Podotremata is, at least for the
moment, supported by the appendicular location of
female gonopores (on P3 coxa) and the spermathecae
at the extremities of thoracic sutures 7/8, the
features of the sternal plate, the arthrodial cavities
of the pereiopods, and others characters. If we include
the Cyclodorippidae, Cymonomidae, Phyllotymolinidae,
and the Raninidae in the Eubrachyura,
which becomes the diagnosis of the Eubrachyura?
Submitted by Danièle Guinot,
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
DECAPODA: BRACHYURA:
HETEROTREMATA, THORACOTREMATA
It is important to recall the original definition of
the taxa given by Guinot (1977, 1978).
The section Hererotremata contains the Brachyuran
families, ALL THE MEMBERS of which
are sternitreme for the female gonopores, and
ONLY some members, at least, are podotreme
for the male gonopores.
The section Thoracotremata contains the Brachyuran
families, all the members of which are sternitreme
for the female and male gonopores. It
means that, for the Heterotremata, in the Leucosiidae
or Leucosioidea by example it exists members
with male gonopores on the P5 coxa and other
members with sternal male apertures. But, in the
last case, it is only a coxo-sternal location of the
penis. The same is true for the Dorippidae, where
some members show a coxo-sternal location of the
penis.
Submitted by Danièle Guinot,
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
Contributions in Science, Number 39 Appendix I: Comments and Opinions 113