Raninidae

Ranina Ranina

The Raninidae are a family original crabs ( Brachyura ). Unlike most other crabs, the greatly reduced abdomen is not folded under the cephalothorax. The scissor legs of Raninidae and the front three pairs of walking legs have become grave tools, with which the animals dig into the sand.

There are over 30 extant species who all live in the sand on tropical seashores.

The Raninidae are fossil known since the Lower Cretaceous. In the Tertiary they were very common.

Inside systematics

In the family 46 extant and 183 extinct species are registered in 34 genera and seven subfamilies:

• Subfamily Cyrthorhininae Cyrtorhina

• † Hemioon
• † Lyreidina
• Lyreidus
• Lysirude
• † Rogueus
• † Macroacaena
• † Tribolocephalus

• Cosmonotus
• † Eumorphocorystes
• † Lianira
• † Lovarina
• Notopus
• † Ranidina
• † Raniliformis
• Ranilia
• Umalia

• † Lophoranina
• Ranina
• † Raninella

• † Bicornisranina
• † Cenocorystes
• † Cristafrons
• Notopoides
• Notosceles
• † Quaslaeviranina
• Raninoides

• † Cretacoranina
• † Eucorystes
• † hay
• † Notopocorystes

• Symethis

• † Araripecarcinus
• † Sabahranina

Swell

• Sammy De Grave, N. Dean Pentcheff, Shane T. Ahyong et al. A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl 21, 2009, pp. 1-109.