Family AXIIDAE Huxley, 1879

Acanthaxius polychaetes

© Copyright Sakai 1994:11

Museums

Regional Maps

• Axiidae Huxley, T.H. 1879. On the classification and the distribution of the crayfishes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1878: 752-788 [785].

  Type genus:

   Axius Leach, 1816.
• Coralaxiinae Sakai, K. & de Saint Laurent, M. 1989. A check list of Axiidae (Decapoda, Crustacea, Thalassinidea, Anomura), with remarks and in addition descriptions of one new subfamily, eleven new genera and two new species. Naturalists 3: 1-104 [10] [subjective synonym].

  Type genus:

   Coralaxius Kensley & Gore, 1981.
• Eiconaxiopsididae Sakai, K. 2011. Axioidea of the world and a reconsideration of the Callianassoidea (Decapoda, Thalassinidea, Callianassida). Crustaceana Monographs 13: 1-616 [289] [subjective synonym].

  Type genus:

   Eiconaxiopsis Sakai, 2011.
• Calocarididae Ortmann, 1891 [subjective synonym].

  Type genus:

   Calocaris Bell, 1853.
• Eiconaxiidae Sakai, K., & Ohta, S. 2005. Some thalassinid collections by R/V "Hakuhou-Maru" and R/V "Tansei-Maru", University of Tokyo, in the Sulu Sea, Philippines, and in Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, Japan, including two new species, one new genus, and one new family (Decapoda, Thalassinidea). Crustaceana 78: 67-93 [69] [subjective synonym].

  Type genus:

   Eiconaxius Bate, 1888.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Poore, G.C.B. 2017. Synonymy and problematic species of Eiconaxius Spence Bate, 1888, with descriptions of new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea: Axiidae). Zootaxa 4231(3): 364–376 [Date published 13 Feb 2017] [364]

Introduction

The Axiidae are most diverse in tropical and subtropical seas but can be found in temperate environments and in the deep sea. Little is known of axiid biology but they are generally weak burrowers or live under stones or in cavities in coral rubble (Dworschak et al. 2012). One species, Axius serratus Stimpson, 1852, builds burrows up to 3 m deep. Others such as species of Eiconaxius reside in hexactinellid glass sponges in deep water (Komai & Tsuchida 2012); species of Spongiaxius are associated with demosponges (Richer de Forges et al. 2009) and sometimes with hexactinellids (Sakai 1986).

The family was extensively reviewed by Sakai & de Saint Laurent (1989). Poore (1994) and Sakai (2011) provided keys to genera known then but the systematics of the family has substantially changed since (Poore 2020). It is now represented by more than 200 species in 47 genera, many more than when these synthetic works were completed. Sakai (1994) and Poore & Collins (2009) contributed to reviews of Australian axiids.

Diagnosis

Rostrum thick, bluntly triangular to prominent, with or without lateral dentition; median carina present as ridge or row of spines extending over gastric region; posterior margin of carapace with lateral lobes interacting with anterolateral lobes on pleonite 1. Eyestalks usually cylindrical, with terminal subspherical cornea. Maxilla scaphognathite with 1 or few long setae on posterior lobe extending into branchial chamber. Pereopod 3 propodus with distal spiniform setae on lateral face; pereopod 5 simple. Female pleopod 2 rami similar to following pleopods.

Diagnosis References

Poore, G.C.B.,& Ahyong, S.T. 2023. Marine decapod Crustacea. A guide to families and genera of the World. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing pp. 928.

General References

Dworschak, P.C., Felder, D.F. & Tudge, C.C. 2012. Chapter 69. Infraorders Axiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 and Gebiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 (formerly known collectively as Thalassinidea). pp.109-219 in Schram, F.R., & von Vaupel Klein, J.C. Treatise on Zoology - Anatomy, Taxonomy, Biology. The Crustacea. Complementary to the volumes translated from the French of the Traité de Zoologie [founded by P.-P. Grassé]. Vol. 9 Part B. Eucarida: Decapoda: Astacidea p.p. (Enoplometopoidea, Nephropoidea), Glypheidea, Axiidea, Gebiidea, and Anomura. Leiden : Brill.

Komai, T., & Tsuchida, S. 2012. Rediscovery and redescription of a sponge-associated axiid shrimp, Eiconaxius acutifrons Bate, 1888 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea). Zootaxa 3393: 27-40

Poore, G.C.B. 1994. A phylogeny of the families of Thalassinidea (Crustacea: Decapoda) with keys to families and genera. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 54: 79-120

Poore, G.C.B. 2020. Axiid and micheleid lobsters from Indo-West Pacific deep-sea environments (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea: Axiidae, Micheleidae). In: Corbari, L., Chan, T.-Y. and Ahyong, S.T. (eds) Deep-sea crustaceans from Papua New Guinea. Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos vol. 31. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 213: 259-367

Poore, G.C.B. & Collins, D.J. 2009. Australian Axiidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 66: 221-287

Richer de Forges, B., Tan, S. H., Bouchet, P., Ng, P. K. L., Chan, T.-Y., & Saguil, N. 2009. Panglao 2005 - Survey of the deep-water benthic fauna of the Bohol Sea and adjacent waters. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 20: 21-38

Sakai, K. 1986. Axiopsis brucei sp. nov., a new sponge inhabiting axiid (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea), from north-west Australia. The Beagle. Occasional Papers of the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences 3(1): 11-20

Sakai, K. 1994. Eleven species of Australian Axiidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea) with descriptions of one new genus and five new species. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 11: 175-202

Sakai, K. 2011. Axioidea of the world and a reconsideration of the Callianassoidea (Decapoda, Thalassinidea, Callianassida). Crustaceana Monographs 13: 1-616

Sakai, K. & de Saint Laurent, M. 1989. A check list of Axiidae (Decapoda, Crustacea, Thalassinidea, Anomura), with remarks and in addition descriptions of one new subfamily, eleven new genera and two new species. Naturalists 3: 1-104

History of changes