''Charybdis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of swimming crabs in the family

Portunidae Portunidae is a family of crabs which contains the swimming crabs. Its members include well-known shoreline crabs such as the blue crab (''Callinectes sapidus'') and velvet crab ('' Necora puber''). Description Portunid crabs are characterised b ...

. It is named after the monster

Charybdis Charybdis (; , ; , ) is a sea monster in Greek mythology. Charybdis, along with the sea monster Scylla, appears as a challenge to epic characters such as Odysseus, Jason, and Aeneas. Scholarship locates her in the Strait of Messina. The idiom " ...

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

Species

The genus ''Charybdis'' contains the following species: ;Subgenus'' Charybdis'' (''Charybdis'') De Haan, 1833 *'' Charybdis acuta'' ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) *'' Charybdis acutidens'' Türkay, 1986 *'' Charybdis affinis'' Dana, 1852 *'' Charybdis amboinensis'' Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis anisodon'' (De Haan, 1850) *'' Charybdis annulata'' ( Fabricius, 1798) *'' Charybdis beauforti'' Leene & Buitendijk, 1949 *'' Charybdis brevispinosa'' Leene, 1937 *'' Charybdis callianassa'' ( Herbst, 1789) *'' Charybdis cookei'' Rathbun, 1923 *'' Charybdis crosnieri'' Spiridonov & Türkay, 2001 *'' Charybdis curtilobus'' Stephenson & Rees, 1967 *'' Charybdis demani'' Leene, 1937 *'' Charybdis feriata'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

) *'' Charybdis gordonae'' Shen, 1934 *'' Charybdis granulata'' (De Haan, 1833) *'' Charybdis hawaiensis'' Edmondson, 1954 *'' Charybdis hellerii'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) *'' Charybdis heterodon'' Nobili, 1905 *'' Charybdis holosericus'' (Fabricius, 1787) *'' Charybdis ihlei'' Leene & Buitendijk, 1949 *'' Charybdis incisa'' Rathbun, 1923 *'' Charybdis japonica'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1861) *'' Charybdis jaubertensis'' Rathbun, 1924 *'' Charybdis javaensis'' Zarenkov, 1970 *'' Charybdis lucifer'' (Fabricius, 1798) *'' Charybdis meteor'' Spiridonov & Türkay, 2001 *'' Charybdis miles'' (De Haan, 1835) *'' Charybdis natator'' (Herbst, 1794) *'' Charybdis orientalis'' Dana, 1852 *'' Charybdis padadiana'' Ward, 1941 *'' Charybdis philippinensis'' Ward, 1941 *'' Charybdis rathbuni'' Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis riversandersoni'' Alcock, 1899 *'' Charybdis rosea'' ( Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846) *'' Charybdis rostrata'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1861) *'' Charybdis rufodactylus'' Stephenson & Rees, 1968 *'' Charybdis sagamiensis'' Parisi, 1916 *'' Charybdis salehensis'' Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis seychellensis'' Crosnier, 1984 *'' Charybdis spinifera'' (Edward J. Miers, Miers, 1884) *'' Charybdis vannamei'' Ward, 1941 *'' Charybdis variegata'' (Fabricius, 1798) *'' Charybdis yaldwyni'' Rees & Stephenson, 1967 ;Subgenus ''Charybdis'' (''Goniohellenus'') Alcock, 1899 *'' Charybdis curtidentata'' Stephenson, 1967 *'' Charybdis hongkongensis'' Shen, 1934 *'' Charybdis hoplites'' ( Wood-Mason, 1877) *'' Charybdis longicollis'' Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis omanensis'' Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis ornata'' (A. Milne-Edwards, 1861) *'' Charybdis padangensis'' Leene & Buitendijk, 1952 *'' Charybdis philippinensis'' Ward, 1941 *'' Charybdis pusilla'' Alcock, 1899 *'' Charybdis smithii'' MacLeay, 1838 *'' Charybdis truncata'' (Fabricius, 1798) *'' Charybdis vadorum'' Alcock, 1899 ;Subgenus ''Charybdis'' (''Gonioneptunus'') Ortmann, 1894 *'' Charybdis africana'' Shen, 1935 *'' Charybdis bimaculata'' (Miers, 1886) *'' Charybdis orlik'' Zarenkov, 1970 ;Subgenus ''Charybdis'' (''Goniosupradens'') Leene, 1938 *'' Charybdis acutifrons'' (De Man, 1879) *'' Charybdis erythrodactyla'' (

Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolo ...

, 1818) *'' Charybdis obtusifrons'' Leene, 1937 ;''

Incertae sedis or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' *'' Charybdis paucidentata'' (A. Milne-Edwards) *'' Charybdis sexdentata'' (Herbst, 1783)

''Charybdis affinis''

'' Charybdis affinis'' has a hexagonal, concave

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...

with a yellowish-grey colour. This crab is found in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

and in the West Pacific.

''Charybdis feriata''

'' Charybdis feriata'' is found in the Indian and

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

s, 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 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...

and the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. It is an edible crab and because of its large size, high quality of meat and relatively soft exoskeleton, it has a high commercial value. Attempts are being made to farm this crab using

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

. In

Hong Kong Cantonese Hong Kong Cantonese is a dialect of Cantonese spoken primarily in Hong Kong. As the most commonly spoken language in Hong Kong, it shares a recent and direct lineage with the Guangzhou ( Canton) dialect. Due to the colonial heritage of Hong ...

it is known as the flowery crab (花蟹). This name probably arises from its red and white colouring when cooked. This species of crab is also known as ''Charybdis feriatus'' and ''Charybdis cruciata'', and has also been found in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''cruciata'' refers to the red cross on the

of this species. According to tradition the Spanish

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

missionary

Saint Francis Xavier Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...

saw this crab in Indonesia. "".

''Charybdis hellerii''

'' Charybdis hellerii'' is characterised by a hexagonal, concave carapace with a mottled brownish-grey colour. This crab originates from the Indo-West Pacific, from the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

. However this crab has now also successively invaded the Western Atlantic (

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

) and the Mediterranean Sea.

''Charybdis japonica''

'' Charybdis japonica'' has a hexagonal, concave

around wide, the whole animal being pale green to olive green in colour. It occurs naturally in the waters around

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, but has become an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

''Charybdis lucifer''

''Charybdis (Charybdis) lucifer'', the Yellowish-brown crab, is a species of swimming crab in the family

. The type locality of this species is

, probably Tranquebar. It occurs naturally in the waters around

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(

Invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

(

''Charybdis longicollis''

'' Charybdis longicollis'' is an invasive species from the

that invaded the

fifty years ago.

''Charybdis natator''

'' Charybdis natator'' is characterised by a brownish upper surface with some white spots among the wafts or bright red granules. On its under surface it is bluish, mottled with white and pale red. This crab is not a major target for commercial fishing.

''Charybdis miles''

Though ''Charybdis miles'' was originally designated as its own species, it now actually refers to a group of different species including ''C. acutidens, C. meteor, C. riversandersoni, C. crosnieri,'' and ''C. sagamiensis.'' Unlike most portunid crabs, most species belonging to this group inhabit the deep sea.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2961314 Portunoidea Taxa named by Wilhem de Haan