About Hemiplax hirtipes Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846
The stalk-eyed mud crab, currently known by the scientific name Hemiplax hirtipes Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846 (also referred to as Macrophthalmus hirtipes), is a large-eyed marine crab belonging to the family Macrophthalmidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, including Campbell Island. This species reaches a shell width of approximately 30 millimetres (1.2 inches). There are two competing taxonomic treatments for this species: either it is classified as a member of the genus Macrophthalmus, where it forms the sister lineage to all other Macrophthalmus species and is the only species in the subgenus Hemiplax, or it is classified as the only species in the separate genus Hemiplax, which is itself sister to the genus Macrophthalmus.
