Knowra Hippoidea Hippoidea Hippoidea is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans that includes mole crabs and sand crabs. Its members are adapted to burrowing and living in sandy shorelines.
Decapoda : An order of crustaceans that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and their relatives. Hippoidea is classified within this order of mostly ten-legged crustaceans.
Sand-burrowing : The movement of an animal into or through loose sand for shelter, feeding, or escape. Rapid burial lets hippoids occupy wave-washed beaches while avoiding exposure.
Emerita analoga : A mole crab species common on sandy Pacific shores of the Americas. Its abundance and distribution have made it a familiar subject in surf-zone ecology.
Brachyura : The decapod infraorder containing most animals commonly called true crabs. True crabs contrast with hippoids, which belong to Anomura despite their crablike appearance.
Malacostraca : The largest class of crustaceans, including decapods, krill, and many other familiar groups. This broader crustacean class contains the order Decapoda and Hippoidea.
Uropod : A paired appendage near the rear of many crustaceans, often forming part of a tail fan. In mole crabs, flattened rear appendages help anchor the body in sand.
Emerita talpoida : A mole crab species found on sandy Atlantic beaches of North America. Studies of this species illuminate burrowing and population patterns on exposed beaches.
Paguroidea : A superfamily of anomuran decapods that includes hermit crabs and their relatives. Paguroidea is another major anomuran superfamily, with lifestyles unlike beach-burrowing hippoids.
Crustacea : A large group of arthropods that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. Hippoidea belongs to this arthropod group, characterized by a hard external skeleton.
Plankton : Organisms that drift in water and cannot move effectively against currents. Many mole crabs filter plankton and other suspended particles from incoming surf.
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