Porcelain crabs Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Southeastern Pacific species of Petrolisthes, Allopetrolisthes and Liopetrolisthes | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Anomura |
Superfamily: | Galatheoidea |
Family: | Porcellanidae Haworth, 1825 |
Genera | |
See text |
Porcelain crabs are decapod crustaceans in the widespread family Porcellanidae, which superficially resemble true crabs. They have flattened bodies as an adaptation for living in rock crevices. They are delicate, readily losing limbs when attacked, and use their large claws for maintaining territories. They first appeared in the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic epoch, 145–152 million years ago.