Paguridae Latreille, 1802

McLaughlin, P. A., 2003, Illustrated keys to families and genera of the superfamily Paguroidea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), with diagnoses of genera of Paguridae, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (1), pp. 111-144 : 119

Paguridae Latreille, 1802

In the abbreviated generic diagnoses presented, characters common to the family are not repeated. Statements simply of pleopod number refer to the unpaired left pleopods. The expression “distally divided” (formerly “intermediate”) is used to indicate gill lamellae ( Fig. 4g) that while not deeply or completely subdivided, do show partial distal cleavage or distinct indentations. Genera are arranged in alphabetical order.

Diagnosis. Cephalothorax usually with only shield weakly to strongly calcified; rostrum produced as median projection or rounded lobe; lateral projections usually well developed. Gills bi- or quadriserial phyllobranchia, 8–13 pairs. Ocular peduncles with penultimate segments each provided with acicle. Antennal acicles most commonly with only terminal spine. Maxillipeds 3 separated by moderate to broad sternal plate; ischium usually with well developed crista dentata, sometimes reduced, with or without 1 or more accessory teeth. Chelipeds unequal or subequal, right generally larger. Ambulatory legs with dactyls and propodi usually similar from right to left, occasionally dissimilar; dactyls usually with ventral row of corneous spines; carpi usually armed with at least dorsodistal spine. Pereopod 4 usually semichelate, sometimes subchelate, infrequently chelate or simple; preungual process present or absent at base of claw; rarely circular sensory structure (type A P4 structure, cf. McLaughlin, 1974) on lateral face of dactyl. Fifth pereopods usually chelate, occasionally subchelate. Males usually with paired gonopores on coxae of pereopod 5, occasionally only with single left gonopore; membranous, chitinous, or very weakly calcified sexual tube frequently developed in conjunction with gonopore on one or both coxae; usually without, but occasionally with pleopods 1 and/or 2 paired and modified; with or without unpaired left pleopods on abdominal somites 3–5 or 2–5. Females usually with paired gonopores on coxae of pereopod 3, occasionally only single left gonopore; often without, but frequently with, pleopod 1 paired and modified; with unpaired left pleopods on somites 2–5, or less frequently, 2–4. Uropods usually asymmetrical, occasionally symmetrical. Telson usually with lateral indentations separating anterior and posterior portions; posterior lobes usually separated by median cleft. Type genus: Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 .