''Gecarcinus'' is the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...
of the
land crab
A number of lineages of crabs have evolved to live predominantly on land. Examples of terrestrial crabs are found in the families Gecarcinidae and Gecarcinucidae, as well as in selected genera from other families, such as ''Sesarma'', althou ...
family
Gecarcinidae
The Gecarcinidae, the land crabs, are a family of true crabs that are adapted for terrestrial existence. Similar to all other crabs, land crabs possess a series of gills. In addition, the part of the carapace covering the gills is inflated and eq ...
. They are found in warmer coastal regions of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
, including islands in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. Four species from oceanic islands were formerly included in ''Gecarcinus'' as the subgenus ''Johngarthia'', but are now treated as a separate genus, ''
Johngarthia
''Johngarthia'' is a genus of crabs in the land crab family Gecarcinidae, formerly included in the genus '' Gecarcinus'', and containing these species:
The genus bears the name of John S. Garth, a 20th century naturalist who specialized in c ...
''.
While all members of this genus are largely
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
, they have to return to the ocean to breed (the
larvae
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
are released into the sea). They are often colourful, with reddish, orange, purple, yellowish, whitish, or blackish being the dominating hues. This has resulted in some species, notably ''G. quadratus'' and ''G. lateralis'', gaining a level of popularity in the pet trade.
Species
References
Further reading
* Bright, D., & C. Hogue. 1972. ''A synopsis of burrowing land crabs of the World and list of their arthropod symbionts and burrow associates.'' Contributions in Science. No. 220
Available online (PDF)* Ng, P., & D. Guinot, 2001. ''On the land crabs of the genus Discoplax A. Milne Edwards, 1867 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae), with description of a new cavernicolous species from the Philippines.'' Raffles Bull. Zool. 49: 311-338.
* Türkay, M. 1970. ''Die Gercarcinidae Amerikas. Mit einem Anhang uber Ucides Rathbun (Crustacea: Decapoda).'' Senckenberg. biol. 51: 333-354.
* Türkay, M. 1987. ''Landkrabben.'' Natur Mus. 117: 143-150.
* Perger, R., & A. Wall. 2014 The description of a new species of the Neotropical land crab genus Gecarcinus Leach, 1814 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Gecarcinidae). ZooKeys 435: 93–109. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.435.7271
External links
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Grapsoidea
Terrestrial crustaceans
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