Metacarcinus

Met-ah-car-sin-us.
Published on

Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Metacarcinus.

Phonetic

Met-ah-car-sin-us.

Named By

A.‭ ‬Milne-Edwards‭ ‬-‭ ‬1862.

Classification

Arthropoda,‭ ‬Crustacea,‭ ‬Malacostraca,‭ ‬Decapoda,‭ ‬Brachyura,‭ ‬Cancridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Detritivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬anthonyi,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬danai,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬davidi,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬goederti,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬gracilis,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬granti,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬izumoensis,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬jenniferae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬magister,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬minutoserratus,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬novaezelandiae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬novazelandiae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬starri,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬tenax

Size

Average about‭ ‬10-20‭ ‬centimetres shell width,‭ ‬but exact‭ ‬size depends upon the species.

Known locations

‭Possibly worldwide.

Time Period

Oligocene through to modern day for some species.

Fossil representation

Numerous individuals.

In Depth

       With the first individuals initially described as a species of the Cancer genus,‭ ‬Metacarcinus is a genus of crab that not only has some living species today,‭ ‬but a number of prehistoric ones too.‭ ‬Some of‭ ‬these species such as M.‭ ‬starri and‭ ‬M.‭ ‬goederti are known from deposits as old as the Oligocene period.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new crab‭ (‬Brachyura:‭ ‬Cancridae‭) ‬from Lower Miocene rocks of the Northwestern Olympic Peninsula,‭ ‬Washington.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬70‭ (‬5‭)‬:‭ ‬830‭–‬835.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Ross E.‭ ‬Berglund‭ & ‬James L.‭ ‬Goedert‭ ‬-‭ ‬1996. -‭ ‬Re-evaluation of the Cancridae Latreille,‭ ‬1802‭ (‬Decapoda:‭ ‬Brachyura‭) ‬including three new genera and three new species.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Contributions to Zoology‭ ‬69‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬223‭–‬250.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Carrie E.‭ ‬Schweitzer‭ & ‬Rodney M.‭ ‬Feldmann‭ ‬-‭ ‬2000.

Never Miss a New Species or Fossil Discovery!

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

tyrannosaurus illustration
Titanoboa Illustration