Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of generic relationships within the Callianassidae and Ctenochelidae (Decapoda : Thalassinidea : Callianassoidea)

A phylogenetic analysis of 106 representatives in the thalassinidean famili es Ctenochelidae and Callianassidae, based on 93 adult morphological charac ters, was performed to investigate the interrelationships between the 25 cu rrently recognized genera. The callianideid, Callianidea typa H. Milne Edwa rds, was used as the out-group. The two in-group families, Ctenochelidae an d Callianassidae. were both shown to be monophyletic. Monophyly of the four ctenochelid subfamilies (Anacalliacinae, Callianopsinae, Ctenochelinae, an d the recently suggested Gourretinae) was not supported. Three callianassid subfamilies (Callianassinae, Cheraminae, and Eucalliacinae) were found to be monophyletic but with species compositions different from those presentl y understood. The fourth callianassid subfamily (Callichirinae) is paraphyl etic and ancestral to the other subfamilies. Several species described as s pecies of Callianassa s.l. were found to belong to other genera, Recent dia gnosis of several small genera from the Americas and Japan has left larger traditional genera such as Callianassa s.l, and Cheramus paraphyletic. Glyp turus is apparently paraphyletic as presently diagnosed. The taxonomic posi tion of some species remains enigmatic largely because of missing data. A l isting of all valid genera and species of Ctenochelidae and Callianassidae at the time of publication is provided.