Cheiragonidae is a small
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...
s, sometimes called ''
helmet crabs'',
placed in its own
superfamily, Cheriagonoidea.
It comprises three extant species, ''
Erimacrus isenbeckii'', ''
Telmessus acutidens'' and ''
Telmessus cheiragonus'',
there are no yet evidences of Cheiragonidae in the fossil record.
[ Many of these crabs were formerly treated as members of the Atelecyclidae.]
References
Crabs
Extant Eocene first appearances
Decapod families
Taxa named by Arnold Edward Ortmann
{{Eubrachyura-stub