Lithodes


Lithodes is a genus of king crabs. Today there are about 30 recognized species, but others formerly included in this genus have been moved to Neolithodes and Paralomis. They are found in oceans around the world, ranging from shallow to deep waters, but mostly at depths of. They are restricted to relatively cold waters, meaning that they only occur at high depths at low latitudes, but some species also shallower at high latitudes. They are medium to large crabs, and some species are or were targeted by fisheries.

Species

Lithodes contains the following species:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistributionReferences
Lithodes aequispinus Benedict, 1895Golden king crabNorth Pacific
Lithodes ahyongi Takeda, 2018Seram Sea
Lithodes aotearoa Ahyong, 2010New Zealand
Lithodes australiensis Ahyong, 2010Southeastern Australia
Lithodes ceramensis Takeda & Nagai, 2004Seram Sea
Lithodes chaddertoni Ahyong, 2010Indian Ocean
Lithodes confundens Macpherson, 1988Southwestern Atlantic
Lithodes couesi Benedict, 1895Scarlet king crabNortheastern Pacific Ocean and Burdwood Bank
Lithodes ferox Filhol, 1885Fierce king crabSoutheastern Atlantic Ocean
Lithodes formosae Ahyong & Chan, 2010Taiwan
Lithodes galapagensis Hall & Thatje, 2009The Galápagos Islands
Lithodes jessica Ahyong, 2010Southern Lord Howe Rise
Lithodes longispina Sakai, 1971Japan and Taiwan
Lithodes macquariae Ahyong, 2010Macquarie Island, the Auckland Islands, and Peter I Island
Lithodes maja Norway king crab, northern stone crabNorth Atlantic
Lithodes mamillifer Macpherson, 1988Between South Africa and Madagascar
Lithodes manningi Macpherson, 1988Dominica and French Guiana
Lithodes megacantha Macpherson, 1991French Polynesia
Lithodes murrayi Henderson, 1888Subantarctic stone crabSouthwestern Indian Ocean
Lithodes nintokuae Sakai, 1976Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Lithodes panamensis Faxon, 1893Pacific coast of South America from Panama to northern Chile
Lithodes paulayi Macpherson & Chan, 2008Guam
Lithodes rachelae Ahyong, 2010Southern coast of Australia
Lithodes richeri Macpherson, 1990Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Australia
Lithodes robertsoni Ahyong, 2010New Zealand
Lithodes santolla Southern king crab, Chilean king crab, centollaSouthern Cone
Lithodes turkayi Macpherson, 1988Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile, Southern Atlantic Ocean near the Falkland Islands, and Bellingshausen Sea
Lithodes turritus Ortmann, 1892Japan, the East China Sea, Taiwan, and the Philippines
Lithodes unicornis Macpherson, 1984Valdivia Bank, Walvis Ridge
Lithodes wiracocha Haig, 1974Northwestern coast of Peru