An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea

PREFACE
For anyone with interests in a group of organisms
as large and diverse as the Crustacea, it is difficult
to grasp the enormity of the entire taxon at one
time. Those who work on crustaceans usually specialize
in only one small corner of the field. Even
though I am sometimes considered a specialist on
crabs, the truth is I can profess some special knowledge
about only a relatively few species in one or
two families, with forays into other groups of crabs
and other crustaceans. Crabs are but a small picture
of the overall diversity of the Crustacea. They represent
only one infraorder [Brachyura] within one
order [Decapoda] within one superorder [Eucarida]
within one subclass [Eumalacostraca] within one
class [Malacostraca] of the six currently recognized
classes of the Crustacea (as depicted herein). I am
certain that this situation is similar for all other
crustacean systematists, with the result that there
are no living specialists who can truly claim to have
an in-depth understanding of the Crustacea as a
whole.
This volume is an attempt to provide the reader,
whether a seasoned systematist or a beginning student,
with a glimpse into the enormous variety of
extant crustaceans. The sheer number of categories
that humans have constructed to contain and order
this group is some indication of the incredible
amount of morphological diversity they exhibit.
But this is only a small part of the overall picture.
Even if one were to grasp the full range of taxonomic
diversity as presented in this classification,
such knowledge would shed no light on the actual
biology of these fascinating animals: their behavior,
feeding, locomotion, reproduction; their relationships
to other organisms; their adaptations to the
environment; and other facets of their existence
that fall under the heading of biodiversity.
By producing this volume we are attempting to
update an existing classification, produced by Tom
Bowman and Larry Abele (1982), in order to arrange
and update the Crustacea collection of the
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
This enormous and diverse collection contains an
estimated four to five million specimens, making it
the second largest collection of Crustacea in the
Americas. While undertaking this task, it occurred
to us that others might benefit from our efforts, and
that perhaps a general update on the number and
arrangement of the living crustacean families, along
with an explanation of the systematic and classificatory
changes suggested during the last two decades,
might be a welcome addition to the literature.
I hope this volume is seen as nothing more
than the briefest of introductions into an understanding
of crustaceans and that it might lead to
further work not only on the relationships among
crustaceans but also toward understanding the
overall picture of crustacean biodiversity and natural
history.
Joel W. Martin
June 2001
Los Angeles, California