The Galatheoidea are a superfamily of decapod crustaceans comprising the porcelain crabs and some squat lobsters. Squat lobsters within the three families of the superfamily Chirostyloidea are not closely related to the squat lobsters within the Galatheoidea. The fossil record of the superfamily extends back to the Middle Jurassic genus Palaeomunidopsis.
Classification
These families and genera are included:
Galatheidae † Acanthogalathea – Upper Eocene Alainius Allogalathea Allomunida Coralliogalathea Fennerogalathea Galathea Janetogalathea Lauriea † Lessinigalathea – Lower Eocene † Lophoraninella – Upper Cretaceous † Luisogalathea – Upper Cretaceous Macrothea † Mesogalathea – Upper Jurassic to Cretaceous Nanogalathea † Palaeomunida – Upper Jurassic to Oligocene Phylladiorhynchus † Spathagalathea – Upper Eocene
Munididae Agononida Anomoeomunida Anoplonida Babamunida Bathymunida Cervimunida † Cretagalathea – Upper Cretaceous Crosnierita Enriquea Heteronida Sadayoshia Munida Neonida Onconida Paramunida Pleuroncodes Plesionida † Protomunida – Paleocene to Eocene Raymunida Setanida Tasmanida Torbenella
Munidopsidae † Brazilomunida – Upper Cretaceous † Calteagalathea – Upper Cretaceous † Eomunidopsis – Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous † Faxegalathea – Lower Paleocene Galacantha † Gastrosacus – Upper Jurassic to Cretaceous Leiogalathea Munidopsis † Munitheities – Upper Jurassic † Palaeomunidopsis – Middle Jurassic † Paragalathea – Upper Jurassic to Cretaceous Shinkaia
Porcellanidae Aliaporcellana Allopetrolisthes Ancylocheles † Annieporcellana † Beripetrolisthes Capilliporcellana Clastotoechus Enosteoides † Eopetrolisthes Euceramus Eulenaios Heteropolyonyx Heteroporcellana Liopetrolisthes Lissoporcellana † Lobipetrolisthes † Longoporcellana Madarateuchus Megalobrachium Minyocerus Neopetrolisthes Neopisosoma Novorostrum Orthochela Pachycheles Parapetrolisthes Petrocheles Petrolisthes Pisidia Polyonyx Porcellana Porcellanella † Porcellanoidea Pseudoporcellanella Raphidopus Ulloaia † Vibrissalana
Fossil record Two further fossil taxa may be included in the superfamily, but were not considered in the latest synopsis. The family Retrorsichelidae contains the single species, Retrorsichela laevis from the Campanian, which was tentatively placed in Galatheoidea by its authors. The Eocene genus Ovocarcinus, containing only O. elongatus, was originally placed incertae sedis.
See also Chirostyloidea, the other superfamily of squat lobsters
References