King crabs are a taxon of decapod crustaceans that are 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 with the most common being the red king crab.
Raninoida is a taxonomic section of the crabs, containing a single superfamily, Raninoidea. This group of crabs is unlike most, with the abdomen not being folded under the thorax. It comprises 46 extant species, and nearly 200 species known only from fossils.
Dromiacea is a group of crabs, ranked as a section. It contains 240 extant and nearly 300 extinct species. Dromiacea is the most basal grouping of Brachyura crabs, diverging the earliest in the evolutionary history, around the Late Triassic or Early Jurassic. Below is a cladogram showing Dromiacea's placement within Brachyura:
Munidopsis serricornis is a species of squat lobster. It is widely distributed in the world's oceans, being found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the western Atlantic Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific. It grows up to a carapace length of 20 millimetres (0.8 in).
Eubrachyura is a group of decapod crustaceans comprising the more derived crabs. It is divided into two subsections, based on the position of the genital openings in the two sexes. In the Heterotremata, the openings are on the legs in the males, but on the sternum in females, while in the Thoracotremata, the openings are on the sternum in both sexes. This contrasts with the situation in other decapods, in which the genital openings are always on the legs. Heterotremata is the larger of the two groups, containing the species-rich superfamilies Xanthoidea and Pilumnoidea and all the freshwater crabs. The eubrachyura is well known for actively and constantly building its own burrows. The fossil record of the Eubrachyura extends back to the Cretaceous; the supposed Bathonian representative of the group, Hebertides jurassica, ultimately turned out to be Cenozoic in age.
Lithodes is a genus of king crabs. Today there are about 30 recognized species, but others formerly included in this genus have been moved to Neolithodes and Paralomis. They are found in oceans around the world, ranging from shallow to deep waters, but mostly at depths of 100–1,000 m (300–3,300 ft). They are restricted to relatively cold waters, meaning that they only occur at high depths at low latitudes, but some species also shallower at high latitudes. They are medium to large crabs and some species are or were targeted by fisheries.
Neolithodes is a genus of king crabs, in the family Lithodidae. They are found in all major oceans, both in high and low latitudes. Although there are records from water as shallow as 124 m (407 ft) in cold regions, most records are much deeper, typically 700–2,000 m (2,300–6,600 ft), with the deepest confirmed at 5,238 m (17,185 ft). They are fairly large to large crabs that typically are reddish in color and spiny, although the size of these spines varies depending on species.
Paralomis zealandica, also known as the prickly king crab, is a species of king crab which lives at a depth of 254–1,212 m (833–3,976 ft) in New Zealand. It has spiky carapace. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1971 by Dawson & Yaldwyn. P. zealandica can be distinguished from other species in New Zealand waters by its thick covering of strong upright spines all over, including on its abdomen and along its legs and claws. The rostrum has three short, strong and sharp spines. It is the most prominent species of Paralomis in New Zealand.
Neolithodes flindersi is a species of king crab found in southeastern Australia. They have been found at depths of 887–1,333 metres (2,910–4,373 ft) but typically appear from 950–1,050 metres (3,120–3,440 ft). They most closely resemble Neolithodes brodiei and Neolithodes nipponensis.
Neolithodes yaldwyni is a species of king crab which is found in the Ross Sea from depths of 124–1,950 metres (407–6,398 ft). It had previously been misidentified as Neolithodes brodiei, and it closely resembles Neolithodes capensis.
Neolithodes bronwynae, commonly known as the rock crab, is a species of king crab which is found at the Whakatane Seamount in the Bay of Plenty, the Lord Howe Rise near Lord Howe Island, and possibly New Caledonia. It lives at a depth of 1,515–1,920 metres (4,970–6,299 ft). It has long spines and a deep-red colour.
Neolithodes capensis is a species of king crab which is found in the Southern Ocean and the western Indian Ocean. It has been found to a depth of 660–3,200 metres (2,170–10,500 ft).
Neolithodes diomedeae is a species of king crab which is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and the Bellingshausen and Scotia Seas in the Southern Ocean.
Neolithodes nipponensis is a species of king crab which is found in Japan and Taiwan. It has been found at depths from 200–1,752 metres (656–5,748 ft).
Neolithodes duhameli is a species of king crab which is found in the Crozet Islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean from a depth of 620–1,500 metres (2,030–4,920 ft).
Paralomis dawsoni is a species of king crab which lives in New Caledonia, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands at depths of 400–1,118 m (1,312–3,668 ft). It is the largest species of Paralomis in New Zealand.
Lithodes aoteoroa is a New Zealand species of king crab in the family, Lithodidae, and was first described in 2010 by Shane T. Ahyong. It had formerly been confused with L. longispina and L. murrayi, but neither of those species are found in New Zealand.
Lithodes megacantha is a species of king crab.
Lithodes formosae is a species of king crab. It is presently known to be found in Taiwan from depths of 500–600 m (1,600–2,000 ft).
