In the waters in and around New Zealand, 77 living species of crabs (and 10 species of crab-like Anomura) have been recorded, along with a further 24 species of fossil crabs (marked with an obelisk).[1] Of the extant crabs, 37 are endemic to New Zealand (marked in boldface). The taxonomy below follows Ng et al. (2008) for the extant species,[2] and De Grave et al. (2009) for the fossils.[3]
Almost all the species are marine, with a single freshwater species, Amarinus lacustris (Hymenosomatidae).[1] An updated checklist published in 2010 lists 167 species of Brachyura, plus a little over 50 species of crab-like Anomura.[4] This list (of N.Z. Decapoda) has been republished with annotations in 2011.[5]
^W. R. Webber; G. D. Fenwick; J. M. Bradford-Grieve; S. H. Eagar; J. S. Buckeridge; G. C. B. Poore; E. W. Dawson; L. Watling; J. B. Jones; J. B. J. Wells; N. L. Bruce; S. T. Ahyong; K. Larsen; M. A. Chapman; J. Olesen; J. S. Ho; J. D. Green; R. J. Shiel; C. E. F. Rocha; A.-N. Lörz; G. J. Bird; W. A. Charleston (2010). "Phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Crustacea: shrimps, crabs, lobsters, barnacles, slaters, and kin". In Dennis P. Gordon (ed.). Kingdom Animalia. Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Vol. 2. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. pp. 98–232. ISBN978-1-87725793-3.
^Yaldwyn, J.C.; Webber, W.R. 2011: Annotated checklist of New Zealand Decapoda (Arthropoda: Crustacea). Tuhinga, 22: 171–272. abstract and pdf