Sodhiana iranica Sharifian, Kamrani & Sharifian, 2014, n. sp.
Creators: name: Sharifian, Sana
name: Kamrani, Ehsan
name: Sharifian, Salim
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Gecarcinucidae
Sodhiana
Sodhiana iranica

description: Sodhiana iranica n. sp.
(Figs. 1–3)
Material examined. Holotype: male (30.2 × 23.1 mm) (ZRC 2014.0240), Bastak, Iran, 27°13’N 54°40’E, coll. S. Sharifian, 12 March 2014. Paratypes: 1 male (29.3 × 23.0 mm), 3 females (largest 29.0 × 23.1 mm) (ZRC 2014.0241), same data as holotype; 5 males (largest 30.3 × 26.1 mm), 4 females (largest 33.8 × 29.4 mm) (ZCUH), Bastak, Iran, 27°13’N 54°40’E, coll. S. Sharifian, 1 May 2014.
Comparative material [photographs examined]. Sodhiana blanfordi (Alcock, 1909): Syntype male (46.4 × 35.0 mm) (NHM 1905.10.13.5), Pishin, Baluchistan, Pakistan; syntypes, 4 males (largest 43.2 × 33.2 mm), 5 females (largest 36.9 × 28.8 mm) (ZSI 4043/4), Pishin, Baluchistan, Pakistan, coll. W.T. Blanford, no date; 1 male (41.8 × 31.8 mm), 1 female (37.3 × 28.8 mm) (ZRC), Punjgoor, Beluchistan, Pakistan, coll. Q. Kazmi, 19 January 2003; 2 males (larger 37.1 × 28.0 mm) (ZRC), Punjgoor, Beluchistan, Pakistan, coll. Q. Kazmi, 19 August 2003.
Description. Carapace broader than long; dorsal surfaces smooth; epigastric cristae low, formed by low transverse striae, not cristate, slightly anterior to postorbital cristae; postorbital cristae distinct, sharp, low, defined by small rounded granules, just reaching anterolateral margin at epibranchial tooth. External orbital tooth broadly triangular, outer margin lined with small rounded granules, about 3 times length of inner margin, margin near epibranchial tooth more angular, subdentiform. Epibranchial tooth distinct, triangular, just posterior of postorbital cristae, separated from margin by distinct V-shaped cleft (Figs. 1 A, B, 2A, B). Third maxilliped ischium subrectangular, smooth, with submedian depression but no obvious longitudinal median sulcus; merus rectangular; exopod slender, reaching to midlength of merus, flagellum elongate (Fig. 2 C). Cutting edge of propodus of larger chela with large proximal tooth formed by fusion of several smaller teeth; tip of finger subspatulate (Fig. 2 F, H, I).
Male thoracic sternum smooth; male abdomen narrowly triangular, somite 6 trapezoidal with very slightly concave lateral margins, longer than broad; longer than telson (Figs. 1 C, 2D). G1 with terminal segment straight, subconical, tip directed upwards, slightly inwards (toward median part of thoracic sternum), about one-fifth length of subterminal segment. G2 distal segment long, about half length of basal segment (Fig. 3). Female vulvae rounded, on anterior half of sternite 6, with large opercular cover (Fig. 2 E).
Habitat. The species inhabits a freshwater spring located in a semi-mountainous area in Iran (Eellod region), covered by dense stands of common reeds and salt cedar trees in the periphery, with mats of algae on the bottom.
Distribution. So far only known from Bastak, Iran (but see “Remarks” below).
Etymology. The specific epithet iranica is named after the type locality.
Remarks. Sodhiana blanfordi (Alcock, 1909) and S. iranica n. sp. are superficially similar in the form of the carapace and ambulatory legs. The most significant difference is in the form of the G1. The terminal segment of the G1 of S. iranica n. sp. is gently bent inwards, with the outer margin more curved and the tip directed towards the median part of the sternoabdominal cavity (Fig. 3 A–C). In S. blanfordi, the terminal segment is evenly conical and straight (Fig. 4 F, G). These differences are consistent for the specimens of different sizes of both species studied.
Sodhiana iranica n. sp. is easily separated from S. rokitanskyi by having the epigastric cristae lower and less pronounced, and coming close or almost in contact with the postorbital cristae (Figs. 1 A, 2A, B), whereas it is more prominent in S. rokitanskyi (Pretzmann 1971: pl. 5 fig. 11; Kamrani et al. 2009: fig. 1A; Yeo & Ng 2012: fig. 2B). The G1 of S. iranica n. sp. is relatively more slender with the terminal segment proportionately shorter and tip gently bent inwards (Fig. 3 A–C), in contrast to S. rokitanskyi, where the G1 is proportionately stouter and the tip of the G1 terminal segment is gently bent outwards (Pretzmann 1971: pl. 6 fig. 16; Kamrani et al. 2009: fig. 4A, B). Sodhiana iranica n. sp. can be separated from the poorly known S. afghaniensis (Pretzmann, 1963) by its less convex dorsal carapace surface and proportionately longer G1 terminal segment that has the tip directed inwards (versus straighter G1 with a relatively shorter terminal segment in S. afghaniensis) (cf. Pretzmann 1963: pl. 2 figs. 5, 6; Yeo & Ng 2012: fig. 2A). The carapace of the holotype and only specimen of S. afghaniensis is partially crushed but fresh material from near the type locality shows that adults have a distinctly convex dorsal carapace surface (P.K.L. Ng, unpublished).
Kamrani et al. (2009) discussed the differences between S. rokitanskyi and S. blanfordi, and noted that the form of the posterior margin of the epistome and structure of the proximal tooth on the propodal finger of the larger chela were different. These characters may be affected by size. Although the specimens of S. blanfordi examined (through the courtesy of P.K.L. Ng) had the proximal tooth on the pollex of the larger chela composed of several smaller teeth, Alcock (1910: pl. 4 fig. 16A) figured a large male that had a large complete tooth. This suggests that the large tooth is merely the consequence of complete fusion of several smaller teeth, certainly the case in the present material of S. iranica (Fig. 2 F, H, I). The same appears to be true for the form of the median triangular lobe on the posterior margin of the epistome. Smaller specimens have the lateral margins gently concave (cf. Kamrani et al. 2009: fig. 2B) but larger ones have almost straight lateral margins (Fig. 4 C, D).
It is noteworthy that the locality of the new species in Bastak, Iran, is over 1000 km to the west of the type locality of S. blanfordi (Pishin, Baluchistan) in western Pakistan, but separated by various high mountain ranges. The type locality of S. rokitanskyi occurs in near a hot spring in Geno, southern Iran (Kamrani et al. 2009), this area is some 200 km to the east of Bastak, Iran, the type locality of S. iranica n. sp.
description: Published as part of Sharifian, Sana, Kamrani, Ehsan & Sharifian, Salim, 2014, A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Sodhiana Yeo & Ng, 2012 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from southern Iran, pp. 485-490 in Zootaxa 3878 (5) on pages 486-489, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.5.7, http://zenodo.org/record/227753