THE PHYLOGENY OF BOX CRAB GENERA (CRUSTACEA, BRACHYURA, CALAPPIDAE) WITH NOTES ON THEIR FOSSIL RECORD, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DEPTH DISTRIBUTION

The phylogenetic relationships of eight genera within the Calappidae H . Milne Edwards, 1837 (Crustacea: Brachyura) were examined based on a cladistic analysis of 55 adult morphological characters. A single tree was produced (CI = 0.833, RCI = 0.717). The data revealed two major l ineages within the Calappidae: the 'calappine' dade, consisting of Cal appa, Cryptosoma, Cycloes, Paracyclois and Cyclozodion, and the 'mursi ine' clade, consisting of Acanthocarpus, Mursia and Platymera. Analyse s of the fossil record and biogeographic patterns point to vicariance events associated with Gondwanan fragmentation. Optimization of depth distributions on the cladogram suggests that the family had a deep-wat er origin with only a single lineage moving into shallow waters.