Belliidae is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
s of the
order Decapoda
The Decapoda or decapods (literally "ten-footed") are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and prawns. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is esti ...
.
They respond to predators by hyper-extending all of its limbs and remain in this position for varied amounts of time (Hazlett).
Species
Seven species belong to the family Belliidae :
*''
Acanthocyclus albatrossis''
Rathbun, 1898
*''
Acanthocyclus gayi''
Lucas, 1844
*''
Acanthocyclus hassleri''
Rathbun, 1898
*''
Bellia picta''
H. Milne-Edwards, 1848
*''
Corystoides abbreviatus''
A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
*''
Corystoides chilensis''
Lucas, 1844
*''
Heterozius rotundifrons
''Heterozius rotundifrons'', or big hand crab, is a species of crab of the family Belliidae, endemic to New Zealand. The carapace width is up to .
Behavior
When threatened, Heterozius rotundifrons has a unique antipredator behavior where it f ...
''
A. Milne-Edwards, 1867
References
Crabs
Decapod families
{{crab-stub
Hazlett, B. A., & Mclay, C. L. (2005). Anti-predator responses of the intertidal crab Heterozius rotundifrons (Brachyura: Belliidae) in air and water. Marine & Freshwater Behaviour & Physiology, 38(2), 95–103. doi:10.1080/10236240500078339.