Redescription of Pseudograpsus intermedius Chhapgar, 1955 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Varunidae) from India
Author
Ng, Ngan Kee
0000-0003-1022-1600
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14, Science Drive 4, Singapore 117377, Republic of Singapore. ngankee @ nus. edu. sg; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 1022 - 1600
ngankee@nus.edu.sg
Author
Trivedi, Jigneshkumar
Department of Life Sciences, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat, India.
Author
Bhat, Mithila
School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Taleigao, Goa, India.
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-11-15
5209
1
127
138
journal article
196616
10.11646/zootaxa.5209.1.7
8e12b2ee-eaaa-4bac-b2d9-757ac0e152fa
1175-5326
7322612
A934D1CF-61B6-4B90-A405-E39A7551A321
Chhapgarus
n. gen.
Type
species.
Pseudograpsus intermedius
Chhapgar, 1955
, by present designation.
Description.
Carapace squarish, dorsal surface covered with short, brown setae; regions well defined, convex; frontal margin slightly convex, straight; anterolateral margin subcristate with three teeth including first orbital tooth; posterolateral margins not sharply demarcated from anterolateral margin, concave at branchial region, distinctly subparallel; orbits small, eyes completely filling orbit. Third maxillipeds short, stout; small, distinct rhomboidal gape when closed, palp short, with short setae; exopod with short flagellum. Epistome broad, flat, posterior margin entire. Inner surface of chela with granules, setose. Ambulatory legs long, slender with short setae, stout dactyli. Lateral margins of thoracic sternites 4–5 finely granulated; anterior sternal plates without any medial grooves. Male pleon narrowly triangular, with 7 free segments (6 somites plus telson). Female pleon ovate, very broad. G1 stout, gently curving outwards, terminal lobe elongate, slightly curved.
Etymology
. The new genus is named in honor of Dr. Boman Framji Chhapgar for his valuable contributions to the study of crustacean fauna of
Gujarat
and
Maharashtra
States,
India
. Gender: masculine.
Remarks
. The description of the genus
Pseudograpsus
provided by H. Milne Edwards (1837) is brief that has been updated by
Ng
et al
. (2002)
. In his description, H. Milne Edwards (1837: 81) named two species as belonging to the genus,
Pseudograpsus
viz.
P. pencilliger
(Latreille, 1817)
, and
P. pallipes
H. Milne Edwards, 1837
. No
type
species was designated. Holthuis (1977) was the first to validly select
Cancer penicilliger
Latreille, 1817
, as the
type
species (see also Ng & Nakasone 1993: 2).
Cancer penicilliger
was later synonymized under the senior name,
Pseudograpsus setosus
(see
Ng
et al.
2002
). The genus
Pseudograpsus
has a long history of association with
Hemigrapsus
and
Brachynotus
(see
Tesch 1918
; McLay & Schubart 2004;
Ng
et al.
2002
). This association is now being studied in-depth (in preparation). Balss (1934) synonymized
P. erythraeus
Kossmann, 1894
, under
P. elongatus
. Ng & Nakasone (1993) transferred
P. laniger
to their new genus,
Scutumara
Ng & Nakasone, 1993
, with a comment that the genus
Pseudograpsus
needs to be revised.
The genus,
Pseudograpsus
, currently comprises of five species viz.
P. setosus
(Fabricius, 1778)
(=
P. pencilliger
(Latreille, 1817)
,
type
species);
P. crassus
A. Milne-Edwards, 1868
,
P. albus
Stimpson, 1858
,
P. elongatus
A. Milne-Edwards, 1873
, and
P. intermedius
Chhapgar, 1955
. Out of these five species,
P. intermedius
varies from other species of
Pseudograpsus
s.s.
in having setae on the carapace, chela having soft setae on outer surface, broad and stout ambulatory legs and differences in morphology of reproductive structures, hence
Chhapgarus
n. gen.
is established for
Pseudograpsus intermedius
Chhapgar, 1955
. Interestingly,
C. intermedius
comb. nov.
inhabits the mid-intertidal zone in mangrove habitats (
Chhapgar 1955
), while species of
Pseudograpsus
s.s.
are found in freshwater streams and/or under pebbles/coral sand habitats along beaches (
Tesch 1918
;
Balss 1922
; H.T. Shih, pers. comm). The morphological differences between
Chhapgarus
n. gen.
and
Pseudograpsus
are given in
Table 1
.
Chhapgarus
n. gen.
, also shows similarity to
Utica
White,
1847
in having setae on the carapace surface and outer surface of chela, but differs from the latter in the following characters: carapace squarish (versus distinctly quadrangular in
Utica
); gastric region without “V” shaped ridge (versus prominent “V” shaped ridge on gastric region in
Utica
); branchial region without horizontal ridge (versus horizontal setose granulated ridge present across the branchial region in
Utica
).