In this work, the composition of the family Upogebiidae is reasessed and the classification of its included taxa is critically reviewed. The material examined mainly originates from the collections of the Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main and the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen, comprising samples from the Galathea Expedition 1950-1952, Dr. Th. Mortensen's expeditions, including the Java South African Expedition 1929-1930, and Dr. G. Thorson's Persian expedition. In all, two subfamilies, 11 genera and 157 species are represented in this revision.
The status of the various taxa recognized is placed in the broader context of a re-evaluation of the contents of the infraorder Thalassinidea.
The contents of the book are not only of interest for systematists but also for ecologists and environmental biologists focusing on neritic and benthic biocoenoses, as these mud shrimps are important agents in bioturbation processes of the sea floor.