A new species of soldier crab, Myctyris occidentalis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Mictyridae) from Western Australia, with congener comparisons
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Royal Society of Western Australia
Place of Publication
Perth, Australia
Faculty
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science
School
School of Natural Sciences
RAS ID
6083
Abstract
Mictyris occidentalis, a new species of mictyrid crab (commonly known as soldier crab), is described from Western Australia. Diagnostic features include the macroscopically granular carapace; prominent granular ridges running posteriorly from the antero-lateral spines; front with broadly curved lateral lobes; rounded and projecting shape of the carapace posterior border and distinctly curved and setose dactyls on the 4th pair of walking legs. The new species combines characteristics of congeners M. longicarpus Latreille, 1806 and M. brevidactylus Stimpson, 1858 with which it is compared biometrically. M. occidentalis is the only Mictyris species extant from Shark Bay to Broome in Western Australia and is likely to be endemic. The taxonomic history of Mictyris species is summarised, and recognition of M. brevidactylus as a separate Asian species/species complex and M. longicarpus as endemic to the eastern coast of Australia is supported. A key to the described species of Mictyris is provided.
Access Rights
free_to_read
Comments
Unno, J. (2008). A new species of soldier crab, Mictyris occidentalis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Mictyridae) from Western Australia, with congener comparisons. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 91(1), 31-50.
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