Harpactoxanthopsis
Crabs (= brachyuran decapod crustaceans) are found in
Jurassic to Holocene sedimentary rocks. Complete or near-complete
specimens are scarce. They have a relatively shortened carapace, compared
to lobsters and crayfish, and have the abdominal section of the body turned
underneath & essentially fused with the carapace. Small to large
claws (chelae) occur at the distal ends of the 1st pair of appendages. Decapods have 5 pairs of appendages - 10 in
all - “decapod” means “ten-legged”.
Most crabs are marine (oceanic), but some forms are
freshwater or terrestrial. Their feeding habits range from predation to
scavenging to algal grazing to filter feeding, etc.
Harpactoxanthopsis from the Eocene of northern Italy.
Classification: Animalia, Arthropoda, Crustacea, Malacostraca,
Eucarida, Decapoda, Brachyura, Xanthoidea, Xanthidae
OSU public display (Orton Geology Museum, Ohio State
University, Columbus, Ohio, USA).