Samouelle, 1819
Carapace circular, oval or pentagonal. Dorsal surface with the regions often not defined. Eyes and orbits very small. Antennules folding more or less obliquely. Antennae small, sometimes obsolete. Third maxilliped elongate, completely closing the buccal cavern, except that there is a crevice in front; palp springing from a groove in their dorsal surface near the inner edge, completely concealed when the third maxilliped are in repose; exopodite broad. Afferent branchial channels at the bases of third maxillipeds, occupying the sides of the endostome, covered by the exopodites of third maxillipeds. Efferent branchial channels covered by a pair of lamellar processes from the first maxillipeds. Chelipeds symmetrical. Male and female abdomens with several segments fused. Female openings sternal. Male openings coxal or sternal. G2 short. (Guinot 1998)
Subfamilies treated:
subfamily Cryptocneminae Stimpson, 1858
subfamily Ebaliinae Stimpson, 1871
subfamily Leucosiinae Samouelle, 1819
subfamily Philyrinae Rathbun, 1937