Retroplumidae is a
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
heterotrematan
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, placed in their own (
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
)
superfamily, Retroplumoidea.
Classification
Eight genera are recognised, of which all but two are only known from
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
s:
*''
Archaeopus'' †
Rathbun, 1908
*''
Bathypluma''
de Saint Laurent, 1989
*''
Costacopluma'' †
Collins & Morris, 1975
*''
Cristipluma'' †
Bishop, 1983a
*''
Loerentheya'' †
Lőrenthey, in Lőrenthey & Beurlen, 1929
*''
Loerenthopluma'' †
Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 1996
*''
Retrocypoda'' †
Vía, 1959
*''
Retropluma''
Gill, 1894
Ten species in two genera survive in the
deep sea
The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combination of low tempe ...
of the
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
region:
*''
Bathypluma chuni''
(Doflein, 1904)
*''
Bathypluma forficula''
De Saint Laurent, 1989
*''
Bathypluma spinifer''
De Saint Laurent, 1989
*''
Retropluma denticulata''
Rathbun, 1932
*''
Retropluma quadrata''
De Saint Laurent, 1989
*''
Retropluma notopus''
(Alcock & Anderson, 1894)
*''
Retropluma planiforma''
Kensley, 1969
*''
Retropluma plumosa''
Tesch, 1918
*''
Retropluma serenei''
De Saint Laurent, 1989
*''
Retropluma solomonensis''
McLay, 2006
Fossil specimens ascribed to the Retroplumidae are known from the
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...
onwards, with ''
Archaeopus antennatus'' in
Coniacian–
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian ( ) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age (uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage) of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or Upper Cretaceous series (s ...
rocks in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and ''
Archaeopus ezoensis'' from
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, the second age (geology), age in the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch, or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Upper Cretaceous series (stratigraphy), ...
–Maastrichtian rocks from
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q903309, from2=Q15146101
Crabs
Extant Maastrichtian first appearances
Decapod families