TABLE 1. — Morphological differences between Cardisomatidae n in Formal establishment of Gecarcinoidea H. Milne Edwards, 1837 n. stat. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura), with recognition of two families, Cardisomatidae n. fam. and Gecarcinidae restrict., and new insights on Epigrapsidae Watabe, 2007

TABLE 1. — Morphological differences between Cardisomatidae n. fam. and Gecarcinidae restrict. Morphological charactersCardisomatidae n. fam.Gecarcinidae restrict.Carapacemoderately swollen or marquedly swollenvery swollen to strongly swollenLateral striaeif present, faint, and more often absentdistinct, numerousFronto-orbital bordermore than half width of carapacehalf or less than half width of carapaceFrontrelatively wide, not much deflexedrelatively narrow, strongly deflexedOrbitsdeveloped, transversally elongatedsmall and deep, more or less oblique or sometimes very small and englobed in carapace (Gecarcinus ruricola)Eyestalkselongated, completely filling orbits (Cardisoma, Tuerkayana) or not (Discoplax)short, more or less curvedProepistomemore or less prominently and dome-shaped, variously sized, exposedvery small, not completely covered by subfrontal plate, therefore visible (Gecarcinus), or completely covered by subfrontal plate, therefore hardly discernible (Hartnollius, Gecarcoidea, Johngarthia)Buccal frameelongate-subquadrate, well delineated laterally with wide, thick, straight anterior marginshorter, quadrate, subcircular or rhomboid, not delineated laterallyEpistome: anterior marginas two concave edges joining mediallylinearMxp3longshorterMxp3 palpnormal, with three mobile articles externally visiblewith first article fused to merus internal surface and with two mobile distal articles either concealed, not visible (Gecarcinus), or more or less visible (other genera)Mxp3 exopodexposed, slender, with concealed flagellumconspicuously reduced to more or less narrow plate, completely concealed; flagellum lostPterygostomial areasetoseglabrousSterno-pleonal cavitydeep, with developed lateral slopesless deep, shallowRidge (when pleon is well applied)marked (Cardisoma, Tuerkayana) or faint (Discoplax), running along telson and also extending along distal part of pleonal somite 6marked, only running along telsonPleonal locking structures in malesobscure or absent, non-functionalan oblique prominence, marked (Gecarcoidea, Gecarcinus) to very marked (Johngarthia) in middle of sternite 5. A button more or less close to suture 4/5 (Hartnollius). Apparatus non-functionalMale gonoporesternal but emerging very close to P5 coxo-sternal condyle and membrane lining arthrodial cavitydistant from to P5 coxo-sternal condyle, widely sternalPenispenis emerging just at origin of suture 7/8, above P5 coxo-sternal condyle (except in Discoplax)penis emerging rather far from P5 coxo-sternal condyle, at level of suture 7/8, thus in a more sternal positionFemale pleonrelatively narrow, oval, and, thanks to dense fringe of setae on margins, completely filling thoracic sternum except for episternites; telson small and narrow, reaching more or less sternite 3 and mxp3, leaving only a reduced lateral portion exposedmuch wider, discoid, leaving laterally and especially anteriorly a sternal portion exposed, in addtion to the episternites; telson in the shape of a large triangleMale and female pleonsbordered by thick fringe of setae along marginsbordered by narrow fringe of setae along marginsG1long, slender, tip reaching sternal suture 4/5 or not quite reaching itshort, thick; calcified part reaching about middle part of sternite 6 (Gecarcinus, Hartnollius), slightly behind (Gecarcoidea, Johngarthia)Vulvaevulvae on sternite 6 just below suture 5/6; sternal cover salient, developed (Cardisoma), smaller (Tuerkayana), or flat (Discoplax)protruding, obliquely directed, normally occluded by rigid calcified immobile operculumSetal tuftsno tufts of hydrophilic setae along first pleonal somites; setae on posterior margin of sternite 7setal tufts of hydrophilic setae along first pleonal somites; setae on posterior margin of sternite 7, slightly on P5 coxaeStridulatory apparatusabsent, except in Discoplax with suborbital ridge acting as pars stridens; plectrum on inner margin of cheliped merusonly signalled in Hartnollius laterali s: subhepatic and pterygostomial striae as pars stridens; inner surface of palm of chelae used as plectrum; perhaps also functional in other genera of Gecarcinidae, but not documented