Homolidae

{{Short description|Family of crabs}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Paromola cuvieri.jpg

| image_caption = Paromola cuvieri

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Homolidae

| authority = De Haan, 1839

}}

The family Homolidae, known as carrier crabs{{Cite web |title=Family Details for Homolidae - carrier crabs |url=https://sealifebase.se/summary/FamilySummary.php?ID=440 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=sealifebase.se}} or porter crabs,[http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=crabs_of_japan&id=42&menuentry=groepen Family Homolidae (Porter crabs)] at the [http://species-identification.org Marine Species Identification Portal] contains 14 genera of marine crabs. They mostly live on the continental slope and continental shelf, and are rarely encountered. Members of the Homolidae have their fifth pereiopods (last pair of walking legs) in a sub-dorsal position, which allows them to hold objects in place over the rear half of the carapace.{{cite journal |author=Mary K. Wicksten |year=1985 |title=Carrying behavior in the family Homolidae (Decapoda: Brachyura) |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=476–479 |jstor=1547919 |doi=10.2307/1547919|doi-access=free }} The objects carried include sponges, black corals and gorgonians, and this behaviour may be a defence mechanism against predators. Some species have been observed carrying living sea urchins in a symbiotic relationship which allows them to benefit from the protection of the urchin's dangerous spikes.{{Cite web |url=http://underwaterphotos.com/article5.htm |title=Relationships on the Reef |access-date=2011-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811071547/http://underwaterphotos.com/article5.htm |archive-date=2011-08-11 |url-status=dead }}[http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-kids/invertebrates-kids/crab-carrier-kids.html Carrier Crab video] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220035401/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-kids/invertebrates-kids/crab-carrier-kids.html |date=2011-02-20 }}, National Geographic{{Cite web|title = Carrier Crab|url = http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/crab_carrier|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140312151842/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/crab_carrier|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 12, 2014|website = video.nationalgeographic.com|accessdate = 2015-06-11}}{{Cite web|title = Natural Bling: 6 Amazing Animals That Decorate Themselves|url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150610-animals-camouflage-decoration-bugs-science|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150611230313/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150610-animals-camouflage-decoration-bugs-science/|url-status = dead|archive-date = June 11, 2015|website = National Geographic News|accessdate = 2015-06-11|first = Mary|last = Bates|date=June 10, 2015}}

The genus was erected by Dutch zoologist Wilhem De Haan in 1839.