List of crabs of New Zealand facts for kids

In the waters in and around New Zealand, 77 living species of crabs (and 10 species of crab-like Anomura) have been recorded, along with a further 24 species of fossil crabs (marked with an obelisk). Of the extant crabs, 37 are endemic to New Zealand (marked in boldface). The taxonomy below follows Ng et al. (2008) for the extant species, and De Grave et al. (2009) for the fossils.

Almost all the species are marine, with a single freshwater species, Amarinus lacustris (Hymenosomatidae). An updated checklist published in 2010 lists 167 species of Brachyura, plus a little over 50 species of crab-like Anomura. This list (of N.Z. Decapoda) has been republished with annotations in 2011.

Brachyura

Section Dromiacea

Dromiidae

• Petalomera wilsoni (Fulton & Grant, 1902)

Homolidae

• Dagnaudus petterdi (Grant, 1905)
• Homola orientalis Henderson, 1888
• Yaldwynopsis spinimanus (Griffin, 1965) 

Latreilliidae

• Eplumula australiensis (Henderson, 1888)

Section Raninoida

Raninidae

• Hemioon novozelandicum Glaessner, 1980 †
• Laeviranina perarmata Glaessner, 1960 †
• Lyreidus elegans Glaessner, 1960 †
• Lyreidus tridentatus De Haan 1841
• Lyreidus waitakiensis Glaessner, 1980 †
• Ranilia pororariensis Glaessner, 1980 †

Section Cyclodorippoida

Cymonomidae

• Cymonomus aequilonius Dell, 1971
• Cymonomus bathamae Dell, 1971

Torynommidae

• Torynomma flemingi Glaessner, 1980 †

Section Heterotremata

Portunus pelagicus

Section Thoracotremata

Leptograpsus variegatus

Anomura

Petrolisthes elongatus, Whangaparaoa, near Auckland