Five new species of freshwater crabs of the genera Ghatiana Pati & Sharma, 2014 and Sahyadriana Pati & Thackeray, 2018 from India (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) Author Pati, Sameer K. Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Akurdi, Pune 411 044 (India) sameer _ pati @ yahoo. co. in (corresponding author) sameer_pati@yahoo.co.in Author Thackeray, Tejas Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Vaibhav Chambers, BKC, Bandra, Mumbai 400 051 (India) text Zoosystema 2021 2021-10-12 43 26 627 647 journal article 3880 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a26 0c254d68-ecca-4d6b-8e01-1df4ca45067b 1638-9387 5600291 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:24B254A2-36F7-4DA7-B5C8-9D0EE5DBA85B Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. ( Figs 1 A-D; 2 A-H; 3 A, B) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: ED5952DC-3544-434B-ADD6-CEC5BE37DF67 TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype . India • ♂ (CW 19.53 mm , CL 13.19 mm , CH 9.38 mm , FW 7.19 mm ); Maharashtra : Satara district : Ramban Trail , Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary ; 17°25’58”N , 73°42’32”E ; alt. 940 m ; 1.VII.2017 ; Tejas Thackeray leg.; ZSI-WRC C.1999 . Paratypes . India • 3 ♂ ( CW 14.18-17.84 mm , CL 9.17-12.22 mm , CH 6.01-7.86 mm , FW 5.42-6.83 mm ); 3 ♀ ( CW 16.06-22.83 mm , CL 10.66-15.04 mm , CH 7.46-10.64 mm , FW 6.06-8.40 mm ); same data as for holotype; ZSI-WRC C.2000 . OTHER MATERIAL . — India • ♂ ( CW 13.77 mm , CL 9.45 mm , CH 5.96 mm , FW 5.08 mm ), 2 ♀ ( CW 18.91-21.89 mm , CL 12.64- 14.51 mm , CH 8.66-9.78 mm , FW 6.82-7.46 mm ); Maharashtra : Kolhapur district : Kokan Darshan Point , Masnoli village , c. 5 km south of Amba ; 16°55’22”N , 73°47’45”E ; alt. 840 m ; 15.VII.2020 ; Tejas Thackeray leg.; ZSI-WRC C.2001 . TYPE LOCALITY . — India : Maharashtra : Satara district: RambanTrail, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary; 17°25’58.8”N , 73°42’32.4”E ; alt. 940 m . DIAGNOSIS. — Carapace in adult proportionately narrow (CW/ CL = 1.5), moderately to strongly arched ( CH /CL = 0.6-0.7); lateral margins strongly convex; anterolateral margins relatively short, cristate; epibranchial tooth visible as weak notch; branchial regions slightly rugose; frontal margin some distance from anterior margin of epistome, exposing antennular fossae ( Fig. 1 A-C). First, second maxillipeds with long flagellum on exopod; third maxilliped lacking flagellum on exopod ( Fig. 2A ). Major chela with pointed fingertips; palm in adult male relatively stout; ventral margin of fixed finger and distal half of palm in adult male strongly concave ( Figs 1A, D ; 2B ). Ambulatory legs relatively long (P3 length/CL = c. 2.3) ( Fig. 1A ). Male pleonal somite 6 subquadrate, slightly broader than long ( Figs 1D ; 2C ). Male telson elongated ( Figs 1D ; 2C ). G1 relatively slender, almost straight; terminal segment relatively stout, distally gently curved inwards, relatively long, c. 0.5 times length of subterminal segment; subterminal segment relatively slender ( Fig. 2D, E ). G2 very short, with very short distal segment ( Fig. 2F ). Female pleon in adult broadly subtriangular ( Fig. 2G ). Vulvae in adult positioned apart from each other (VD/SW = c. 0.3), each subovate in shape, relatively large, occupying c. 0.4 times length of S6, positioned close to S5/S6 ( Fig. 2H ). ETYMOLOGY. — The species name honours British naturalist, Gerald Malcolm Durrell for his in situ and ex situ conservation efforts. The specific epithet is thus conceived as a noun in the genitive singular. COLOUR IN LIFE. — The crabs show colour variations. They are generally fluorescent red dorsally ( Fig. 3A ) and relatively paler ventrally. Some crabs are reddish brown dorsally ( Fig. 3B ). ECOLOGICAL NOTES. — Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. is a nocturnal crab and is found in tree trunk holes and in holes or crevices of laterite rocks (locally known as “Jambha”). The species occurs at elevated mountains ( 840-940 m altitude). Some individuals were observed feeding on dead millipedes. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. — Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. is currently known only from two localities of Maharashtra state (Kolhapur and Satara districts), India . Both the localities are situated in the Western Ghats. REMARKS Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. most closely resembles to G. aurantiaca ( type species) mainly due to the proportionately narrower adult carapace [CW/CL = 1.5 in G. durrelli n. sp. ( Fig. 1A, B ); CW/CL = 1.4 in G. aurantiaca (see Pati & Sharma 2014 : fig. 2A; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4A)], the exposed fossae due to the gap between the frontal margin and the anterior margin of the epistome ( Fig. 1C ; see Pati & Sharma 2014 : fig. 2B; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4B), and an almost straight G1 ( Fig. 2D, E ; see Pati & Sharma 2014 : fig. 3E, F; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4D, E). Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. , however, is differentiated from G. aurantiaca by the relatively broader male pleonal somite 6 ( Figs 1D ; 2C ) (vs male pleonal somite 6 as long as broad; see Pati & Sharma 2014 : figs 2C, 3B; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4C), the relatively stouter G1 terminal segment ( Fig. 2D, E ) (vs G1 terminal segment relatively slenderer; see Pati & Sharma 2014 : fig. 3E-G; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4D, E), the relatively slenderer G1 subterminal segment ( Fig. 2D, E ) (vs G1 subterminal segment relatively stouter; see Pati & Sharma 2014 : fig. 3E, F; Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4D, E), and the relatively closely positioned adult vulva in relation to S5/S6 ( Fig. 2H ) (vs adult vulva positioned a clear distance from S5/S6; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 4H). Among congeners, the stout G1 terminal segment is unique in G. durrelli n. sp. and G. pulchra Pati & Thackeray, 2018 ( Fig. 2D ; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 8I, J). In fact, the G1 structure of G. durrelli n. sp. is almost identical to that of G. pulchra except for the gently inwardly curved terminal segment ( Fig. 2D ) (vs straight G1 terminal segment in G. pulchra ; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 8I, J). Ghatiana durrelli n. sp. can nevertheless be separated from G. pulchra by the proportionately narrower adult carapace, CW/CL = 1.5 ( Fig. 1A, B ) (vs proportionately broader adult carapace, CW/CL = 1.6; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 8A), the strongly concave ventral margin of the fixed finger and the distal half of the palm of the major chela in adult males ( Fig. 2B ) (vs gently concave ventral margin of the fixed finger and the distal half of the palm of the major chela in adult males; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 8D), and the relatively longer ambulatory legs, P3 length/CL = c. 2.3 ( Fig. 1A ) (vs the relatively shorter ambulatory legs, P3 length/CL = c. 2.0; see Pati & Thackeray 2018 : fig. 8A).