Gecarcinus
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''Gecarcinus'' is the
type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...
of the
land crab A number of lineages of crabs have evolved to live predominantly on land. Examples of terrestrial crabs are found in the families Gecarcinidae and Gecarcinucidae, as well as in selected genera from other families, such as '' Sesarma'', altho ...
family
Gecarcinidae The Gecarcinidae, the land crabs, are a family of true crabs that are adapted for terrestrial existence. Similar to all other crabs, land crabs possess a series of gills. In addition, the part of the carapace covering the gills is inflated and eq ...
. They are found in warmer coastal regions of the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
, including islands in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. Four species from oceanic islands were formerly included in ''Gecarcinus'' as the subgenus ''Johngarthia'', but are now treated as a separate genus, ''
Johngarthia ''Johngarthia'' is a genus of crabs in the land crab family Gecarcinidae, formerly included in the genus ''Gecarcinus'', and containing six species. The genus bears the name of John S. Garth, a 20th century naturalist who specialized in crabs and ...
''. While all members of this genus are largely
terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...
, they have to return to the ocean to breed (the
larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...
are released into the sea). They are often colourful, with reddish, orange, purple, yellowish, whitish, or blackish being the dominating hues. This has resulted in some species, notably ''G. quadratus'' and ''G. lateralis'', gaining a level of popularity in the pet trade.


Species


References


Further reading

* * * * * Grapsoidea Terrestrial crustaceans {{Eubrachyura-stub