Homarus is a genus of lobsters, which include the common and commercially significant species Homarus americanus and Homarus gammarus. The Cape lobster, which was formerly in this genus as H. capensis, was moved in 1995 to the new genus Homarinus.
Nephrops is a genus of lobsters comprising a single extant species, Nephrops norvegicus, and several fossil species. It was erected by William Elford Leach in 1814, to accommodate N. norvegicus alone, which had previously been placed in genera such as Cancer, Astacus or Homarus. Nephrops means "kidney eye" and refers to the shape of the animal's compound eye.
Astacidea is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans including lobsters, crayfish, and their close relatives.
The Cape lobster, Homarinus capensis, is a species of small lobster that lives off the coast of South Africa, from Dassen Island to Haga Haga. Only a few dozen specimens are known, mostly regurgitated by reef-dwelling fish. It lives in rocky reefs, and is thought to lay large eggs that have a short larval phase, or that hatch directly as a juvenile. The species grows to a total length of 10 cm (3.9 in), and resembles a small European or American lobster; it was previously included in the same genus, Homarus, although it is not very closely related to those species, and is now considered to form a separate, monotypic genus – Homarinus. Its closest relatives are the genera Thymops and Thymopides.
Nephropoidea is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans. It contains the true lobsters in the Nephropidae, and three fossil families: Chilenophoberidae, Protastacidae and Stenochiridae. Their closest relatives are the reef lobsters.
Portunoidea is a superfamily of crabs that includes the family Portunidae, the swimming crabs. Which other crab families are also placed here is a matter of some contention, and may be revised following molecular phylogenetic analyses.
Hippoidea is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans known as sand crabs or mole crabs.
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1976.
The Galatheoidea are a superfamily of decapod crustaceans comprising the porcelain crabs and some squat lobsters. Squat lobsters within the three families of the superfamily Chirostyloidea are not closely related to the squat lobsters within the Galatheoidea. The fossil record of the superfamily extends back to the Middle Jurassic genus Palaeomunidopsis.
Michèle de Saint Laurent was a French carcinologist. She spent most of her career at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, working on the systematics of decapod crustaceans; her major contributions were to hermit crabs and Thalassinidea, and she also co-described Neoglyphea, a living fossil discovered in 1975.
Hoploparia is a genus of fossil lobster belonging to the family Nephropidae. The type species of this genus is Hoploparia longimana.
Raymunida erythrina is a species of squat lobster in the family Munididae from the Pacific and Indian oceans. The species can be distinguished by its morphological characters and its mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences.
Palaeopalaemon is an extinct genus of the oldest lobster-like aquatic decapod crustaceans, containing the species Palaeopalaemon newberryi.
Notahomarus is a genus of fossil lobster belonging to the family Nephropidae that is known from fossils found only in Lebanon. The type species, N. hakelensis, was initially placed within the genus Homarus in 1878, but it was transferred to the genus Notahomarus in 2017.
Pseudastacus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived in the Jurassic period of Europe, and possibly the Cretaceous period of Lebanon. Many species have been assigned to it, though the placement of some species remain uncertain and others have been reassigned to different genera. The genus itself has been placed into different families by numerous authors, but is currently believed to be a member of Stenochiridae.
Stenochiridae is a family of fossil decapod crustaceans which lived from the early Jurassic to late Cretaceous periods. It is the only family in the superfamily Stenochiroidea. Fossils of stenochirids are known from Europe, Japan, Chile and Australia.
Stenochirus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived from the Callovian to Tithonian stages of the Jurassic period. Its fossils have been found in Germany and France.
Palaeophoberus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived from the Aalenian to Tithonian stages of the Jurassic period. Its fossils have been found in Germany and France.
Tillocheles is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived during the Cretaceous period. Two species are currently placed in the genus. Fossils of the earlier type species, T. shannonae, have been found in Queensland, while remains of the later species, T. kaoriae, are known from Hokkaido.
Protastacus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived in what is now Germany during the early Cretaceous period. The type species is P. politus, and a second species, P. antiquus, is also assigned to the genus. Protastacus grew to around 10 cm (3.9 in) long and had a mostly crayfish-like appearance, with enlarged pincer-bearing appendages and a segmented abdomen. Though formerly assigned to the Astacidae or Nephropoidea, it is currently placed as the only genus in the family Protastacidae, which in turn is the only family in the superfamily Protastacoidea.
