Homolidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Cladus: Pancrustacea
Superclassis: Multicrustacea
Classis: Malacostraca
Subclassis: Eumalacostraca
Superordo: Eucarida
Ordo: Decapoda
Subordo: Pleocyemata
Infraordo: Brachyura
Sectio: Podotremata
Superfamilia: Homoloidea

Familia: Homolidae
Genera: Dagnaudus – Homola - Homologenus - Lamoha - Latreillopsis - Moloha - Paromola - Yaldwynopsis

The family Homolidae, known as carrier crabs[1] or porter crabs,[2] contains 14 genera of marine crabs. They mostly live on the continental slope and continental shelf, and are rarely encountered.[3] Members of the Homolidae have their fifth pereiopods (last pair of walking legs) in a sub-dorsal position, which allows them to hold objects in place over the rear half of the carapace.[3] The objects carried include sponges, black corals and gorgonians, and this behaviour may be a defence mechanism against predators.[3] Some species have been observed carrying living sea urchins in a symbiotic relationship which allows them to benefit from the protection of the urchin's dangerous spikes.[4][5][6][7]
Genera

A total of 14 genera are currently recognised in the family:[8]

Dagnaudus Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995
Gordonopsis Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995
Homola Leach, 1816
Homolax Alcock, 1899
Homolochunia Doflein, 1904
Homologenus A. Milne-Edwards, in Henderson, 1888
Homolomannia Ihle, 1912
Ihlopsis Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995
Lamoha Ng, 1998
Latreillopsis Henderson, 1888
Moloha Barnard, 1947
Paromola Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891
Paromolopsis Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891
Yaldwynopsis Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1995

See also

iconCrustaceans portaliconArthropods portal

Homola barbata, in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
Paromola cuvieri, in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

References

Family Homolidae - carrier crabs at sealifebase.org
Family Homolidae (Porter crabs) at the Marine Species Identification Portal
Mary K. Wicksten (1985). "Carrying behavior in the family Homolidae (Decapoda: Brachyura)". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 5 (3): 476–479. doi:10.2307/1547919. JSTOR 1547919.
"Relationships on the Reef". Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
Carrier Crab video Archived 2011-02-20 at the Wayback Machine, National Geographic
"Carrier Crab". video.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
Bates, Mary (June 10, 2015). "Natural Bling: 6 Amazing Animals That Decorate Themselves". National Geographic News. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
Peter Davie & Michael Türkay (2011). "Homolidae". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved April 27, 2011.