Family ALBUNEIDAE Stimpson, 1858

<em>Albunea speciosa</em> [from Dana 1855: pl. 25 fig. 6]

Albunea speciosa [from Dana 1855: pl. 25 fig. 6]

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Family ALBUNEIDAE Stimpson, 1858

Albuneidae Stimpson, W. 1858. Crustacea Anomura: Prodromus descriptionis animalium evertebratorum, quae in Expeditione ad Oceanum Pacificum Septentrionalem, a Republica Federata missa, Cadwaladaro Ringgold et Johanne Rodgers Ducibus, observavit et descripsit W. Stimpson. Pars VII. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 10: 225-252 [230] [name in its original spelling, 'Albunidae', placed as Name No. 276 on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Family-Group Names in Zoology, in International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 522. Suppression under the Plenary Powers (i) of certain names published by C.S. Rafinesque for genera and species of the Orders Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Class Crustacea) in the period 1814–1818 and (ii) of certain specific names currently regarded as senior subjective synonyms of the names of the type species of Homola Leach, 1815, and Lissa Leach, 1815 respectively both being genera assigned to the list of the foregoing Orders. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 209–248 (220); name corrected to Albuneidae in same Opinion and given Name No. 242 on the Official List of Family Group Names in Zoology].
Type genus:
Albunea Weber, 1795.
Secondary source:
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 522. Suppression under the Plenary Powers (i) of certain names published by C.S. Rafinesque for genera and species of the Orders Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Class Crustacea) in the period 1814–1818 and (ii) of certain specific names currently regarded as senior subjective synonyms of the names of the type species of Homola Leach, 1815, and Lissa Leach, 1815 respectively both being genera assigned to the list of the foregoing Orders. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 209-248.
Symnista Rafinesque, C.S. 1815. Analyse de la nature, ou tableau de l'univers et des corps organises. Palermo (Italy) : Privately Published 224 pp. [Date published April to July] [98] [unnecessary replacement name for Albunea Fabricius, 1798, and thus a junior objective synonym; Name No. 1197 on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology, in International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 522. Suppression under the Plenary Powers (i) of certain names published by C.S. Rafinesque for genera and species of the Orders Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Class Crustacea) in the period 1814–1818 and (ii) of certain specific names currently regarded as senior subjective synonyms of the names of the type species of Homola Leach, 1815, and Lissa Leach, 1815 respectively both being genera assigned to the list of the foregoing Orders. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 209–248 (217)].
Secondary source:
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1958. Opinion 522. Suppression under the Plenary Powers (i) of certain names published by C.S. Rafinesque for genera and species of the Orders Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Class Crustacea) in the period 1814–1818 and (ii) of certain specific names currently regarded as senior subjective synonyms of the names of the type species of Homola Leach, 1815, and Lissa Leach, 1815 respectively both being genera assigned to the list of the foregoing Orders. Opinions and Declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 19: 209-248.

Introduction

Mole crabs or sand crabs are obligate diggers in fine sandy beaches and similar subtidal sediments. They conceal themselves completely in sand to be invisible from the surface . Albuneids are relatively small, crab-like anomurans. Typically, like the closely related Hippidae, they burrow into sandy substrates. This habit means that they are rarely encountered unless being specifically targeted for collection, and thus have been poorly studied. They are mostly found in relatively shallow coastal waters, but range in depth down to 225 metres.

Albuneids are well represented in Australian waters by four of the seven genera recognised. Stemonopa Efford & Haig, 1968, is monotypic and apparently indigenous to Western Australia. A second genus Austrolepidopa Efford & Haig, 1968, was also considered indigenous until the recent description of a third species, A. caledonia Boyko & Harvey, 1999, from New Caledonia. Perhaps the most significant paper dealing with the Australian fauna is that of Efford & Haig (1968) although they did not treat the most common genus, Albunea. The publication by Serène & Umali (1965), and later works by Serène (1973, 1979), are key modern works on Indo-west Pacific species in general. Most recently, Boyko & Harvey (1999) provided an annotated list and key to Indo-west Pacific genera and species.