| Eumalacostraca | |
|---|---|
| |
| Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Subclass: | Eumalacostraca Grobben, 1892 |
| Superorders | |
Eumalacostraca is a subclass of crustaceans, containing almost all living malacostracans, or about 40,000 described species.[1] The remaining subclasses are the Phyllocarida and possibly the Hoplocarida.[2] Eumalacostracans have 19 segments (5 cephalic, 8 thoracic and 6 abdominal). This arrangement is known as the "caridoid facies", a term coined by William Thomas Calman in 1909. The thoracic limbs are jointed and used for swimming or walking. The common ancestor is thought to have had a carapace, and most living species possess one, but it has been lost in some subgroups.
- ^ Gary C. B. Poore (2002). "Introduction". Crustacea: Malacostraca. Zoological catalogue of Australia. Vol. 19.2A. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 1–7. ISBN 978-0-643-06901-5.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
M&Dwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).