In the waters in and around New Zealand, 77 living species of crabs (and 10 species of crab-like Anomura

Anomura

Anomura is a group of decapod crustaceans, including hermit crabs and others. Although the names of many anomurans includes the word crab, all true crabs are in the sister group to the Anomura, the Brachyura .-Description:The name Anomala reflects the unusual variety of forms in this group;...

) have been recorded, along with a further 24 species of fossil

Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...

 crabs (marked with an obelisk

Dagger (typography)

A dagger, or obelisk. is a typographical symbol or glyph. The term "obelisk" derives from Greek , which means "little obelus"; from meaning "roasting spit"...

). Of the extant crab

Crab

True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...

s, 37 are endemic to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 (marked in boldface). The taxonomy below follows Ng et al. (2008) for the extant species, and De Grave et al. (2009) for the fossils. Almost all the species are marine, with a single freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 species, Amarinus lacustris

Amarinus lacustris

Amarinus lacustris is a species of freshwater crab from Australia, New Zealand and nearby islands, where it lives in water of various salinities. It grows up to wide, with an H-shaped groove on its back. It is an omnivore and is eaten by crayfish and fish. It was first discovered in Lake Pupuke,...

 (Hymenosomatidae

Hymenosomatidae

Hymenosomatidae is a family of crabs with some 110 described species in nearly 20 genera. The following genera are placed in the Hymenosomatidae:*Amarinus*Apechocinus*Cancrocaeca*Crustaenia*Elamena*Elamenopsis*Guaplax...

).

Section Dromiacea

Dromiacea

Dromiacea is a group of crabs, ranked as a section. It contains 240 extant and nearly 300 extinct species. Where they are considered to form a monophyletic group, Dromiacea and two other groups of crabs, namely the Raninoida and Cyclodorippoidea, may be collected together into the Podotremata, each...

Dromiidae

Dromiidae

Dromiidae is a family of crabs, often referred to as sponge crabs. They are small or medium-sized crabs which get their name from the ability to shape a living sponge into a portable shelter for themselves. A sponge crab cuts out a fragment from a sponge and trims it to its own shape using its claws...

• Petalomera wilsoni (Fulton & Grant, 1902)

Homolidae

Homolidae

The family Homolidae, known as carrier crabs or porter crabs, contains 14 genera of marine crabs. They mostly live on the continental slope and continental shelf, and are rarely encountered. Members of the Homolidae have their fifth pereiopods in a sub-dorsal position, which allows them to hold...

• Dagnaudus petterdi (Grant, 1905)
• Homola orientalis Henderson, 1888
• Yaldwynopsis spinimanus (Griffin, 1965) 

Latreilliidae

Latreilliidae

Latreilliidae is a small family of crabs. They are relatively small long-legged crabs found on soft bottoms at depths of up in mostly tropical and subtemperate waters around the world. The family and its type genus are named after Pierre André Latreille...

• Eplumula australiensis (Henderson, 1888)

Section Raninoida

Raninidae

Raninidae

Raninidae is a family of unusual crabs named for their frog-like appearance, taken by most scientists to be quite primitive. These animals closely resemble the mole crabs, due to parallel evolution or convergent evolution. In both groups, the claws are modified into tools for digging, and the body...

• Hemioon novozelandicum Glaessner, 1980 †
• Laeviranina perarmata Glaessner, 1960 †
• Lyreidus elegans Glaessner, 1960 †
• Lyreidus tridentatus De Haan 1841
• Lyreidus waitakiensis Glaessner, 1980 †
• Ranilia pororariensis Glaessner, 1980 †

Section Cyclodorippoida

Cymonomidae

• Cymonomus aeguilonius Dell, 1971
• Cymonomus bathamae Dell, 1971

Torynommidae

• Torynomma flemingi Glaessner, 1980 †

Section Heterotremata

Heterotremata

Heterotremata is a clade of crabs, comprising those crabs in which the genital openings are on the sternum in females, but on the legs in males. It comprises 68 families in 28...

Leucosiidae

Leucosiidae

Leucosiidae is a family of crabs containing three subfamilies and a number of genera incertae sedis:Cryptocneminae Stimpson, 1907* Cryptocnemus Stimpson, 1858* Leucisca MacLeay, 1838* Lissomorpha Ward, 1933...

• Ebalia laevis (Bell, 1855)
• Merocryptus lambriformis A. Milne-Edwards, 1873
• Tanaoa pustulosus (Wood-Mason in Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891)

Majidae

Majidae

Majidae is a family of crabs, comprising around 700 marine species with a carapace that is longer than it is broad, and which forms a point at the front. The legs can be very long in some species, leading to the name "spider crab"...

• Eurynolambrus australis H. Milne-Edwards & Lucas, 1841
• Eurynome bituberculata Griffin, 1964
• Jacquinotia edwardsi (Jacquinot, 1853)
• Leptomithrax atavus Glaessner, 1960 †
• Leptomithrax australis (Jacquinot in Jacquinot & Lucas, 1853)
• Leptomithrax garricki Griffin, 1966
• Leptomithrax irirangi Glaessner, 1960 †
• Leptomithrax longimanus Miers, 1876
• Leotomithrax longipes (Thomson, 1902)
• Leptomithrax tuberculatus Whitelegge, 1900
• Leptomithrax uruti Glaessner, 1960 †
• Notomithrax minor (Filhol, 1885)
• Notomithrax peronii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1834)
• Notomithrax ursus
  Notomithrax ursus
  Notomithrax ursus is a spider crab of the family Majidae, found in south east Australia and New Zealand. Males grow to a carapace width of , and a carapace length of , while females reach by . They are typically found among seaweed in rockpools, and are themselves usually covered in seaweed....
  
   (Herbst, 1788)
• Prismatopus filholi (A. Milne-Edwards, 1876)
• Teratomaia richardsoni (Dell, 1960)

Inachidae

Inachidae

Inachidae is a family of crabs, containing 39 genera:*Achaeopsis Stimpson, 1857*Achaeus Leach, 1815*Anisonotus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879*Anomalothir Miers, 1879*Bothromaia Williams & Moffitt, 1991...

• Achaeus curvirostris (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)
• Cyrtomaia lamellata Rathbun, 1906
• Dorhynchus ramusculus (Baker, 1906)
• Platymaia maoria Dell, 1963
• Platymaia n.sp
• Trichoplatus huttoni A. Milne-Edwards, 1876

Inachoididae

• Pyromaia tuberculata (Lockington, 1877)

Epialtidae

Epialtidae

Epialtidae is a family of crabs, containing the subfamilies:* Epialtinae MacLeay, 1838* Pisinae Dana, 1851* Pliosomatinae Števčić, 1994* Tychinae Dana, 1851...

• Actinotocarcinus chidgeyi Jenkins, 1974 †
• Rochinia riversandersoni (Alcock, 1895)
• Leptomaia tuberculata Griffin & Tranter, 1986

Atelecyclidae

Atelecyclidae

Atelecyclidae is a family of crabs belonging to the Cancroidea superfamily, and currently containing eight genera two of which are extinct. However, the genera other than Atelecyclus do not belong in the Cancroidea, and are to be removed from the family....

• Pteropeltarion novaezelandiae Dell, 1972
• Trichopeltarion fantasticum Richardson & Dell, 1964
• Trichopeltarion greggi Dell, 1969 †

Cancridae

Cancridae

Cancridae is a family of crabs. It comprises six extant genera, and eleven exclusively fossil genera, in two subfamilies:Cancrinae Latreille, 1802*Anatolikos Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2000*†Anisospinos Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2000...

• Metacarcinus novaezelandiae
  Pie crust crab
  The pie crust crab, Metacarcinus novaezelandiae , is a species of crab found around New Zealand and south-eastern Australia....
  
   (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846)

Tumidocarcinidae

• Tumidocarcinus dentatus Glaessner, 1960 †
• Tumidocarcinus giganteus Glaessner, 1960 †
• Tumidocarcinus tumidus (Woodward, 1876) †

Dorippidae

• ?Eodorippe spedeni Glaessner, 1980 †

Macropipidae

• Pororaria eocenica Glaessner, 1980 †

Portunidae

Portunidae

Portunidae is a family of crabs which contains the swimming crabs.-Description:Portunid crabs are characterised by the flattening of the fifth pair of legs into broad paddles, which are used for swimming...

• Ovalipes catharus
  Ovalipes catharus
  Ovalipes catharus is a species of crab of the family Portunidae. It is found around the coasts of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, and in south-eastern parts of Australia. Individuals from shallow waters, deep, have a carapace width of only , while those from are wide....
  
   (White in White & Doubleday, 1843)
• Ovalipes molleri (Ward, 1933)
• Ovalipes
  Ovalipes
  Ovalipes is a genus of crabs in the family Portunidae, containing 11 extant species:*Ovalipes australiensis Stephenson & Rees, 1968*Ovalipes catharus *Ovalipes elongatus Stephenson & Rees, 1968...
  
   sp A. Glaessner, 1960 †
• Portunus pelagicus
  Portunus pelagicus
  Portunus pelagicus, also known as the flower crab, blue crab, blue swimmer crab, blue manna crab or sand crab, is a large crab found in the intertidal estuaries of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Middle-Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The name "flower crab" is used in east Asian...
  
   (Linnaeus, 1766)
• Liocarcinus corrugatus (Pennant, 1777)
• Nectocarcinus antarcticus (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846)
• Nectocarcinus bennetti Takeda & Miyake, 1969
• Rhachiosoma granulifera (Glaessrier, 1960) †
• Scylla serrata
  Scylla serrata
  Scylla serrata is an economically important crab species found in the estuaries and mangroves of Africa, Australia and Asia. In their most common form, the shell colour varies from a deep, mottled green to very dark brown...
  
   (Forskal, 1775)

Menippidae

Menippidae

Menippidae is a family of crabs of the order Decapoda.-Genera:*Menippe De Haan, 1833*Myomenippe Hilgendorf, 1879*Pseudocarcinus H. Milne-Edwards, 1834*Ruppellioides A. Milne-Edwards, 1867*Sphaerozius Stimpson, 1858...

• Menippe
  Menippe (genus)
  Menippe is a genus of true crabs. One of the best known species is the Florida stone crab. Most of the species of this genus are found in the Atlantic Ocean....
  
   sp. Glaessner, 1960 †
• Pseudocarcinus sp. Glaessner, 1960 †

Oziidae

• Ozius truncatus
  Ozius truncatus
  Ozius truncatus, or the black finger crab or reef crab, is a crab of the family Menippidae, endemic to south eastern Australia and the North Island of New Zealand.-References:...
  
   H. Milne-Edwards, 1834

Pilumnidae

• Pilumnopeus serratifrons (Kinahan, 1856)
• Pilumnus lumpinus Bennett, 1964
• Pilumnus novaezelandiae Filhol, 1886

Belliidae

Belliidae

Belliidae is a family of crabs of the order Decapoda.-Species:Seven species belong to the family Belliidae :*Acanthocyclus albatrossis Rathbun, 1898*Acanthocyclus gayi Lucas, 1844*Acanthocyclus hassleri Rathbun, 1898...

• Heterozius rotundifrons
  Heterozius
  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 .-References:...
  
   A. Milne-Edwards 1867

Goneplacidae

Goneplacidae

Goneplacidae is a family of crabs of the order Decapoda and the superfamily Goneplacoidea. It includes the following genera:*† Amydrocarcinus Schweitzer, Feldmann, Gonzáles-Barba & Vega, 2002*Bathyplax A. Milne-Edwards, 1880*Carcinoplax H...

• Carcinoplax victoriensis Rathbun, 1923
• Goneplax arenicola (Glaessner, 1960) †
• Neommatocarcinus huttoni (Filhol, 1886)

Galenidae

• Galene proavita Glaessner, 1960 †

Section Thoracotremata

Thoracotremata

Thoracotremata is a clade of crabs, comprising those crabs in which the genital openings are on the sternum, rather than on the legs in both sexes. It comprises 17 families in four superfamilies .-Superfamilies and...

Grapsidae

Grapsidae

Grapsidae is a family of crabs known variously as marsh crabs, shore crabs or talon crabs. It is not confirmed that the family forms a monophyletic group and some taxa may belong in other families...

• Austrohelice crassa
  Tunnelling mud crab
  The tunnelling mud crab, Austrohelice crassa, is a marine large-eyed crab of the family Grapsidae, endemic to the sea coasts of New Zealand. Their carapace width is up to 40 mm....
  
   (Dana, 1851)
• Leptograpsus variegatus (Fabricius, 1793)
• Miograpsus papaka Fleming, 1981 †
• Planes cyaneus Dana, 1852
• Planes marinus Rathbun, 1914

Plagusiidae

Plagusiidae

Plagusiidae is a family of crabs. It was formerly treated as a subfamily of the family Grapsidae, but has since been considered sufficiently distinct to be a family in its own right.Five genera are included in the family:*Davusia Guinot, 2007...

• Plagusia chabrus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Plagusia squamosa (Herbst, 1790)

Varunidae

Varunidae

Varunidae is a family of thoracotrematan crabs. The delimitation of this family, part of the taxonomically confusing Grapsoidea, is undergoing revision. For a long time, they were placed at the rank of subfamily in the Grapsidae, but they appear to be closest to Macropthalmus and the Mictyridae,...

• Hemigrapsus crenulatus
  Hairy-handed crab
  Hemigrapsus crenulatus, the hairy-handed crab or , is a marine crab of the family Varunidae, endemic to the New Zealand coast, although a taxon in Chile may be conspecific....
  
   (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
• Hemigrapsus sexdentatus (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
• Cyclograpsus insularum
  Northern smooth shore crab
  The northern smooth shore crab, Cyclograpsus insularum, is a marine crab of the family Varunidae, found around Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands and in New Zealand from North Cape to East Cape. Their carapace width is up to ....
  
   Campbell & Griffin, 1966
• Cyclograpsus lavauxi H. Milne-Edwards, 1853

Pinnotheridae

Pinnotheridae

Pinnotheridae is a family of pea crabs. Pea crabs are tiny soft-bodied crabs that live commensally in the mantles of certain bivalve molluscs...

• Pinnotheres atrinicola
  Pinnotheres atrinicola
  Pinnotheres atrinicola is a small crab that lives symbiotically in the horse mussel Atrina zelandica around New Zealand. This species was recognised as being distinct from Pinnotheres novaezelandiae in 1983 .-External links:*...
  
   Page, 1983
• Pinnotheres novaezelandiae Filhol, 1886

Ocypodidae

Ocypodidae

Ocypodidae is a family of crabs that includes the ghost crabs and fiddler crabs. Other genera previously included in the family are now treated as members of separate families in the superfamily Ocypodoidea, such as Ucididae, Dotillidae and Macrophthalmidae....

• Macrophthalmus hirtipes
  Stalk-eyed mud crab
  The stalk-eyed mud crab, Macrophthalmus hirtipes, is a marine large-eyed crab of the family Macrophthalmidae, endemic to New Zealand including Campbell Island. It grows to around shell width. It is either the only species in the subgenus Hemiplax and the most basal species in the genus...
  
   (Jacquinot in Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846)
• ?Macrophthalmus major (Glaessner, 1960) †

Hymenosomatidae

Hymenosomatidae

Hymenosomatidae is a family of crabs with some 110 described species in nearly 20 genera. The following genera are placed in the Hymenosomatidae:*Amarinus*Apechocinus*Cancrocaeca*Crustaenia*Elamena*Elamenopsis*Guaplax...

• Amarinus lacustris
  Amarinus lacustris
  Amarinus lacustris is a species of freshwater crab from Australia, New Zealand and nearby islands, where it lives in water of various salinities. It grows up to wide, with an H-shaped groove on its back. It is an omnivore and is eaten by crayfish and fish. It was first discovered in Lake Pupuke,...
  
   (Chilton, 1882)
• Elamena longirostris Filhol, 1885
• Elamena momona Melrose, 1975
• Elamena producta Kirk, 1878
• Halicarcinus cookii (Filhol, 1885)
• Halicarcinus innominatus Richardson, 1949
• Halicarcinus ovatus Stimpson, 1858
• Halicarcinus planatus (Fabricius, 1775)
• Halicarcinus tongi Melrose, 1975
• Halicarcinus varius (Dana, 1851)
• Halicarcinus whitei (Miers, 1876)
• Halimena aotearoa Melrose, 1975
• Hymenosoma depressum Jacquinot, 1853
• Neohymenicus pubescens (Dana, 1851)

Anomura

Anomura

Anomura is a group of decapod crustaceans, including hermit crabs and others. Although the names of many anomurans includes the word crab, all true crabs are in the sister group to the Anomura, the Brachyura .-Description:The name Anomala reflects the unusual variety of forms in this group;...

Lithodidae

King crab

King crabs, also called stone crabs, are a superfamily of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus.King...

• Lithodes murrayi Henderson, 1888
• Lithodes longispina Sakai, 1971
• Neolithodes brodiei Dawson & Yaldwyn, 1970
• Paralomis zelandica Dawson & Yaldwyn, 1971
• Paralomis hystrix
  Paralomis hystrix
  Paralomis hystrix is a king crab which lives at a depth of 180–400 m in Tokyo Bay, Enshunada and through to Kyūshū. It has few predators because of its small size and spiky carapace....
  
   (De Haan, 1849)
• Paralomis
  Paralomis
  Paralomis is a genus of king crabs. It includes the following species:*Paralomis africana Macpherson, 1982*Paralomis anamerae Macpherson, 1988*Paralomis arae Macpherson, 2001*Paralomis arethusa Macpherson, 1994...
  
   n.sp.

Paguridae

Paguridae

Paguridae is a family of hermit crabs of the order Decapoda. It contains 542 species in over 70 genera:*Acanthopagurus de Saint Laurent, 1968*Agaricochirus McLaughlin, 1981*Alainopaguroides McLaughlin, 1997...

• Porcellanopagurus edwardsi
  Porcellanopagurus edwardsi
  Porcellanopagurus edwardsi is a species of hermit crab that lives in the waters around New Zealand and its Subantarctic Islands.-Distribution:...
  
   Filhol, 1885

Porcellanidae

Porcelain crab

Porcelain crabs are decapod crustaceans in the widespread family Porcellanidae, which superficially resemble true crabs. They are typically less than wide, and have flattened bodies as an adaptation for living in rock crevices...

• Petrolisthes elongatus
  New Zealand half crab
  The New Zealand half crab, Petrolisthes elongatus, is a species of porcelain crab found around New Zealand, and the east coast of Tasmania. Its carapace width is up to 18 mm.-References:* *...
  
   (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
• Petrolisthes novaezelandiae Flihol, 1886
• Petrocheles spinosus Miers, 1876