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Malacostraca
| Description | Malacostraca is the largest of the six classes of crustaceans, containing about 40,000 living species, divided among 16 orders. Its members, the malacostracans, display a great diversity of body forms and include crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, woodlice, amphipods, mantis shrimp and many other, less familiar animals. They are abundant in all marine environments and have colonised freshwater and terrestrial habitats. They are segmented animals, united by a common body plan comprising 20 body segments (rarely 21), and divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen. From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacostraca, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source Data |
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| Rank | class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Arthropoda : Malacostraca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | accepted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification (PBDB,GBIF) |
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| Scientific Name | Malacostraca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opinions (PBDB) |
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| Status (PBDB) | extant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxon Size (PBDB) | 6,919 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Extant Size (PBDB) | 2,317 (33%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Recorded Appearance | 530 - 513 Ma Cambrian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motility | actively mobile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vision | well-developed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diet | omnivore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taphonomy | chitin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary Reference (PBDB) | P. A. Latreille. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière des Crustacés et des Insectes, Tome Troisième | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Name(s) | Storkräftor, 軟甲 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacostraca |
External Images
Fossil Distribution
Subtaxa
| Name | Status | Common Name(s) | Fossil Occurrences | Oldest | Youngest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Eumalacostracasubclass | listed (PBDB) | 82 | 359 Ma Late/Upper Devonian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Hoplocarida subclass | listed (PBDB) | 30 | 339 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Phyllocarida subclass | listed (PBDB) | 220 | 530 Ma Cambrian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Eucarida superorder | listed (PBDB) | 5,634 | 339 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Aeschronectida ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | 5 | 331 Ma Carboniferous | 306 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Amphionidacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Amphipoda order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Amphipod | 3 | 174 Ma Middle Jurassic | 0 Ma Extant |
| Anaspidacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 10 | 307 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Bathynellacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Belotelsonidea ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Bochusacea order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Cumacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Hooded Shrimp | 1 | 165 Ma Middle Jurassic | 0 Ma Extant |
 Decapodaorder | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Decapod | 5,634 | 339 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant |
| Eocaridacea ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | 1 | 315 Ma Carboniferous | 315 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Euphausiacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 0 Ma Extant | |||
| Hoplostraca ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Hymenostraca ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | 1 | 516 Ma Cambrian | 516 Ma Cambrian | |
| Isopoda order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Isopod | 83 | 272 Ma Permian | 0 Ma Extant |
| Leptostraca order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 260 Ma Permian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Lophogastrida order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 14 | 247 Ma Early/Lower Triassic | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Mysida order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Mysid Shrimp | 15 | 359 Ma Late/Upper Devonian | 0 Ma Extant |
| Palaeocaridacea ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Palaeostomatopoda ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
 Stomatopodaorder | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | Mantis Shrimp | 30 | 339 Ma Carboniferous | 0 Ma Extant |
| Tanaidacea order | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 44 | 260 Ma Permian | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Thermosbaenacea order | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Waterstonellidea ✝ order | listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Acadiocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Acanthotelsonidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 311 Ma Carboniferous | 311 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Aenigmacarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Anthracophausiidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Aratidecthidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Aristozoidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Belotelsonidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Canadaspididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Caryocarididae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 31 | 485 Ma Cambrian | 443 Ma Silurian | |
| Ceratiocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Echinocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Essoidiidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Hymenocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Jerometichenoriidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 279 Ma Permian | 279 Ma Permian | |
| Kallidecthidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Mictocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Minicarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Notocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Ohiocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Palaeocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Palaeopemphidae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 3 | 269 Ma Permian | 269 Ma Permian | |
| Pephricarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Perimecturidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Perspicarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Ptychocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Pygocephalidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Rhinocarididae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Sairocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Spelaeogriphidae family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 145 Ma Late Jurassic | 0 Ma Extant | |
| Squillitidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Tealliocarididae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Tylocarididae ✝ family | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 265 Ma Permian | 260 Ma Permian | |
| Waterstonellidae family | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Aenigmacaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 307 Ma Carboniferous | 307 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Amphipeltis ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 318 Ma Carboniferous | 318 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Archaeocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Arenosicaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Bairdops ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Bellocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 347 Ma Carboniferous | 347 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Branchiocaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Chitinomandibulum genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Cinerocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 433 Ma Silurian | 433 Ma Silurian | |
| Dictyocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 5 | 443 Ma Silurian | 426 Ma Silurian | |
| Dilophaspis ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Discinocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 4 | 461 Ma Middle Ordovician | 441 Ma Silurian | |
| Douglasocaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Hoplita genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Iraticaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Joanellia ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 2 | 331 Ma Carboniferous | 331 Ma Carboniferous | |
| Kallidecthes ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Naranda ✝ genus | doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 156 Ma Jurassic | 156 Ma Jurassic | |
| Nothozoe genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Octotriangulella genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Palaeosyncaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Paleosquilla genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Permocaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Phasganocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Pittinucaris genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Protobalanus genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Pseudoarctolepis genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Pygaspis genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Sagittiformosus genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Sairocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Silesicaris ✝ genus | doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | ||||
| Sosiocaris ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 1 | 269 Ma Permian | 269 Ma Permian | |
| Thoronetia genus | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
| Tuzoia ✝ genus | accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB) | 31 | 530 Ma Cambrian | 472 Ma Early/Lower Ordovician | |
| Eripha gonagra species | accepted (GBIF) | No associated record in PBDB | |||
Synonymy List
| Year | Name and Author |
|---|---|
| 1802 | Malacostraca Latreille p. 20 |
| 1904 | Malacostraca Martin p. 94 |
| 1984 | Malacostraca Squires p. 55 |
| 1992 | Malacostraca Bengtson p. 1022 |
| 1999 | Malacostraca Squires p. 28 |
| 2001 | Malacostraca Martin and Davis p. 65 |
| 2002 | Malacostraca Sepkoski, Jr. |
| 2003 | Malacostraca Kiessling |
| 2004 | Malacostraca Briggs et al. p. 131 |
References
Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!
Will County, Illinois, USA