Description of a new species of deep-water crab of the genus Homolodromia A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 from the northern Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Homolodromiidae)

ABSTRACT

Homolodromia rajeevani, a new species of deep-water homolodromiid sponge crab, is described from the northern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea, depth 957 m, and Bay of Bengal, 645 m), and is the first record of the genus from the area. This species resembles the western Indian Ocean species, namely, Homolodromia bouvieri Doflein, 1904, in having 2 terminal spines on the propodi of the last two pereopods, but can be easily distinguished from the latter species by the inflated carapace, simple long setae on carapace and appendages, slender pseudo-rostral spines separated by a U-shaped base, and a slender arched dactylus of cheliped with maximum elevation at proximal part which bears broadly circular depressions with sparse setae. The most diagnostic character is the higher number of spines on the occlusal surfaces of propodal thumbs and dactyli of the pseudochela of the last two pereopods as compared to H. bouvieri. A key for the identification of the species under the genus Homolodromia is also provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:48894F49-5124-4723-9FF2-3D30FB536DA5

KEYWORDS:

• Homolodromia
• taxonomy
• new species
• northern Indian Ocean
• deep-water

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. M. Sudhakar, Director, CMLRE, Kochi, India, for providing the opportunity to work on the taxonomy of deep-water crustaceans of the Indian EEZ. The authors are thankful to Shri. N. Saravanane, Scientist E, CMLRE and Project Co-ordinator of the ‘Resource Exploration and Inventorization System’ project. We are indebted to eminent carcinologist Prof. Peter K. L. Ng, National University of Singapore, Singapore for the critical correction of the manuscript. The authors gratefully acknowledge the copyright permissions for the use of published images granted by Prof. Danièle Guinot and Claire Margerie from the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris); Prof. J. W. Martin, Natural History Museum, Los Angeles; Prof. Daniel J. Pondella II, Editor and Prof. Larry G. Allen, Co-Editor, Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences; and Smithsonian Libraries. Grateful thanks are also due to the expert reviewers whose comments have enabled us to make the publication accurate. We are grateful to the chief scientists, scientific staff and crew members of the FORV Sagar Sampada cruise numbers 279, 372 and 374. This is CMLRE contribution number 111.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).