Stalk-eyed mud crab
Encyclopedia
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 30 millimetres (1.2 in) shell width. It is either the only species in the subgenus
Hemiplax and the most basal species in the genus Macrophthalmus
, or the only species in the sister genus Hemiplax.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Macrophthalmidae, 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...
including Campbell Island
Campbell Island, New Zealand
Campbell Island is a remote, subantarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. It covers of the group's , and is surrounded by numerous stacks, rocks and islets like Dent Island, Folly Island , Isle de Jeanette Marie, and Jacquemart Island, the latter being the...
. It grows to around 30 millimetres (1.2 in) shell width. It is either the only species in the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Hemiplax and the most basal species in the genus Macrophthalmus
Macrophthalmus
Macrophthalmus is a genus of crabs which are widespread across the Indo-Pacific. It contains the following species :Subgenus Chaenostoma Stimpson, 1858*Macrophthalmus boscii Audouin, 1826...
, or the only species in the sister genus Hemiplax.