Munididae 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 ...

squat lobster Squat lobsters are dorsoventrally flattened crustaceans with long tails held curled beneath the cephalothorax. They are found in the two superfamilies Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea, which form part of the decapod infraorder Anomura, alongs ...

s, taxonomically separated from the family Galatheidae in 2010.

Description and ecology

The squat lobsters in the family Munididae can be distinguished from other families by the presence of a trispinose frontal edge to the

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 ...

, as well as a central

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit ** podium * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ...

, and two spines extend forward from above the eyes. Although a few species enter shallow water, the majority of species in the Munididae are deep-water taxa, in contrast to the mostly shallow-water Galatheidae.

Taxonomy

Many of the genera included in the family Munididae had previously been included in a wider circumscription of the family Galatheidae. The following genera are now recognised: *'' Agononida'' *'' Anomoeomunida'' *'' Anoplonida'' *'' Antillimunida'' *'' Arabiconida'' *†'' Austromunida'' *'' Babamunida'' *'' Bathymunida'' *†'' Cretagalathea'' – Upper Cretaceous *'' Crosnierita'' *'' Curtonida'' *'' Dactylonida'' *''

Enriquea ''Enriquea leviantennata'' is a species of squat lobster in the 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 subsp ...

'' *'' Garymunida'' *'' Gonionida'' *'' Grimothea'' *'' Hendersonida'' *'' Heteronida'' *'' Hexamunida'' *'' Iridonida'' *'' Ischnonida'' *† '' Juracrista'' – Late Jurassic (Tithonian) *'' Leptonida'' *†'' Muellermunida'' *''

Munida ''Munida'' is the largest genus of squat lobster Squat lobsters are dorsoventrally flattened crustaceans with long tails held curled beneath the cephalothorax. They are found in the two superfamilies Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea, which ...

'' *'' Neonida'' *'' Onconida'' *'' Paramunida'' *'' Plesionida'' *'' Raymunida'' *'' Sadayoshia'' *'' Scolonida'' *'' Setanida'' *'' Tasmanida'' *†'' Tethysmunida'' *'' Torbenella'' *'' Trapezionida'' *'' Typhlonida'' *†'' Valamunida''

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q6936622 Squat lobsters Extant Late Jurassic first appearances Decapod families Taxa named by Enrique Macpherson