Sakaija africana
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Forges, Bertrand Richer De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Majidae
Sakaija
Sakaija africana

description: Sakaija africana (Griffin & Tranter, 1986)   
(Figs. 2F, 29, 33N –R, 37L, 40K, 46I, 51C, 54M, 70C)  
 Maja africana Griffin & Tranter, 1986: 211, 71a–e, 73c, d, Pl. 14. – Ng et al., 2008: 117 (list).   
 Material examined. Madagascar – 1 male (28.7 × 22.3 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-57) (specimen barcoded), station 27, between Nosy Bé and Cap Du Leven, MIRIKY, 12°31’S 48°22’E, 298–301 m, coll. MIRIKY, June 2009. — 1 male (32.2 × 25.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-928), station DW 3228, 260– 319 m, 12°55’S 48°11’E, 2 July 2009. — 1 male (26.3 × 19.9 mm), 2 ovigerous females (25.7 × 20.2 mm, 23.8 × 18.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-505), station DW 3211, 12°32’ 47°52’E, 244–300 m, coll. MIRIKY, 30 June 2009. — 1 male (27.3 × 21.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-932), no other data, coll. MIRIKY, 25 June–14 July 2009. — 1 male (27.3 × 21.2 mm), 1 ovigerous female (25.7 × 19.9 mm) (ZRC 2013.1408, ex MNHN-IU-2010-504), station CP 3188, 12°31’S 48°22’E, 298–301 m, coll. MIRIKY, 27 June 2009.   
 Diagnosis. Carapace branchial area gently inflated, ovate; with relatively short lateral and branchial spines (Fig. 29). Pseudorostral spines very long, diverging (Fig. 37L). Supraocular eave narrow, strongly curved; antorbital tooth strong, triangular pointed outwards; intercalated spine basally subtruncate, separated from other spines by narrow gaps; postorbital spine large, pointed anteriorly; hepatic spine low, tuberculiform (Figs. 29, 37L). Lateral margin with 2 short spines, subequal or anterior one slightly smaller; 1 large branchial spine; median row with 3 low spines: 1 gastric, 1 cardiac, 1 long, posteriorly directed intestinal; posterior carapace margin with 2 long spines (Fig. 29). Basal antennal article with 2 large distal spines, external margin with 4 blunt teeth (Fig. 40K). Ischium of third maxilliped almost smooth (Fig. 46I). Adult ambulatory legs relatively long, slender (Fig. 29). G1 gently curved, distal part with long setae, with low subdistal swelling (Fig. 33N–R).   
 Remarks. Sakaija africana was described on the basis of one male specimen, 24 mm in carapace length, collected off Durban, Indian Ocean coast of South Africa. It is the largest known species of Sakaija. This species seems common in the Mozambique Channel at a depth of around 300 m.   
Male and female specimens smaller than the holotype (Fig. 29B, D) generally have relatively shorter ambulatory legs compared to large males (Fig. 29C); with females also having proportionately shorter pseudorostral spines. The G1 figured by Griffin & Tranter (1986: fig. 73c, d) appears to have been drawn in situ and at an angle and not with the structure lying flat on its dorsal or ventral surfaces. The two lobes depicted on their fig. 73d (present Fig. 33N, O) is where the folds overlap (Fig. 33Q, R). They otherwise agree very well in form and structure.
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Forges, Bertrand Richer De, 2015, Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific, pp. 110-225 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63 on pages 170-171, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5384590