Moloha tumida Kumar 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Homolidae
Moloha
Moloha tumida

description: Moloha tumida sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 25B20CDD-06DA-4A14-BB61-1F7954ED6357
Figs 1B, 3B, 4C, 5B, 9, 13, 14B, 15 D–G, 17B
Diagnosis
Carapace with pseudorostral and supraocular spines long, subequal; supraocular spine with distinct submedian accessory spine; gastric region with many sharp granules in addition to 3 major spines; branchial regions distinctly inflated; subhepatic region swollen, with 2 large dorsal and 3 small ventral spines; protogastric region with 2 major spines; basal antennal spine acute; P2–P4 long, slender, subcylindrical, merus with 8–10 spines on dorsal margin, outer surface with 1–13 small spines, ventral margin with 19–28 spines; P5 with 2 spines on dorsal margin, 2 small spines on outer surface, 4 spines on ventral margin, subchelate structure stout, propodus with 3 large basal spines, rest of margin with distinct, closely arranged, similarly sized spines. G1 stout, short, groove on ventral surface submedian, dorso-median surface flat, distal part less rounded, opening large, auriculiform, directed towards median part of sternum.
Etymology
The species is named after the relatively swollen carapace.
Material examined
Holotype
INDIA: ♂ (tcl 64.4 mm, cl 55.7 mm, tcw 56.1 mm, cw 50.6 mm), Kerala, 300–350 m, 3 Dec. 2014 (DABFUK).
Description
Medium-sized species, spiny on carapace, appendages, chelipeds and ambulatory legs (Figs 1B, 3B, 4C, 5B, 13, 14B). Dorsal surface of carapace with deep grooves, well marked regions (Figs 1B, 3B, 4C, 5B, 14B). Pseudorostral spine simple, as long as or slightly longer than supraorbital spines (Figs 1B, 3B, 14B). Proepistome with sharp spine. Supraocular spine long, straight, with prominent laterally directed accessory spine on anterior third (Figs 1B, 3B, 4C, 5B, 14B); infraorbital spine long, gently curved outwards, about ⅔ length of supraorbital spine, visible in dorsal view (Figs 4C, 5B); buccal spine prominent, just visible in dorsal view (Figs 4C, 5B); basal antennal spine sharp, acute (Figs 4C, 5B); protogastric region with 2 major spines and smaller spinules posterior and lateral to them (Figs 1B, 2B, 5B, 14B); mesogastric region with 1 large median spine (Figs 1B, 2B, 5B, 14B); mesobranchial region with 5 or 6 large, laterally directed spines and numerous spinules behind them (Figs 1B, 2B, 5B, 14B); subhepatic region swollen, with 2 large dorsal spines, 1 median spine and 2 small ventral spines (Figs 1B, 2B, 4C, 5B, 14B); anterolateral spine distinct, pointing obliquely anteriorly, with smaller spine below it (Figs 1B, 2B, 5B, 14B); posterolateral spines distinct, 3 largest laterally directed, first largest, with many spinules between them (Figs 1B, 2B, 5B, 14B); cardiac region small, with 1 short spine (Figs 1B, 2B, 4C, 5B, 14B). Cervical groove shallow, but clearly visible (Figs 1B, 2B, 14B); transverse cardio-intestinal groove shallow (Figs 1B, 2B, 14B). Posterior carapace margin strongly concave; lateral margins of branchiostegite almost smooth (Figs 1B, 2B, 14B). Eyes short; podophthalmite short, stout; basophthalmite slender, elongate; cornea bulbous (Figs 1B, 2B, 4C, 5B, 14B). Antennules with a swollen basal article, other articles long, slender, with elongate flagellum (Fig. 4C). Antennae short, first article with large urinary article (Figs 4C, 5B). Epistome truncate; posterior margin gently sinuous, with median part weakly triangular, lateral parts gently concave (Fig. 4C). Third maxilliped subpediform, elongated; inner margins lined with dense, long setae; basis-ischium with 4 submedian tubercles; merus with 1 large subproximal tubercle, anterolateral margin dentate; carpus short, unarmed; propodus and dactylus elongated, unarmed (Fig. 13A).
Cheliped relatively long, slender, spiny (Figs 1B); coxa with 2 short spines; ischium subtrigonal in crosssection, with 3–7 short spines; merus with 3 rows of short or long spines: dorsal row with 17–19 spines, outer surface with 12 or 13 spines, ventral margin with 14–18 spines (Figs 1B, 9D); carpus elongate, outer surface granulated, not spinose (Figs 1B, 9 D–E). Palm slender, covered with small granules and setae, those on inner surface denser and longer; fingers shorter than palm, with hooked tips, pigmented throughout most of length except near base, that of pollex not extending substantially into palm; cutting edges blade-like; dactylus with 1 low subproximal tubercle (Figs 1B, 9 E–F).
Ambulatory legs long, slender; meri subcylindrical; P3 longest (Figs 1B, 13 B–H). P2 coxa with 3 spines; ischium with 4 short spines; merus with 3 rows of short or long spines: dorsal row with 9 or 10 spines, outer surface with 1–13 spines, ventral margin with 19–21 spines (Fig. 13B, E). P3 coxa with 3 spines; ischium with 4–7 short spines; merus with 3 rows of short or long spines: dorsal row with 9 spines, outer surface with 10–13 spines, ventral margin with 20–25 spines (Fig. 13C, F). P4 coxa with 2 or 3 spines; ischium with 3–6 short spines; merus with 3 rows of short or long spines: dorsal row with 8 spines, outer surface with 11 spines, ventral margin with 26–28 spines (Fig. 13D, G). P5 coxa with 1 spine; ischium with 2 short spines; merus with 3 rows of short or long spines: dorsal row with 2 spines, outer surface with 2 spines, ventral margin with 4 spines; carpus elongate, unarmed; propodus and dactylus forming subchelate structure; propodus curved, relatively shorter, flexor margin with 3 large, curved spines and 4 or 5 smaller spines anterior to it in a row, dactylus curved with 6–9 small spines on flexor margin (Fig. 13 H–I).
Male pleon ovate, completely covering thoracic sternal surface; telson pentagonal, with distal half triangular, with sharp tip, basal part quadrate, lateral margin convex to distinctly convex (Fig. 9 A–B); somite 6 trapezoidal, with deeply concave lateral margins, distal median margin with prominent spine (Fig. 9 A–B); somites 4 and 5 subquadrate, with lateral margins expanded, triangular, somite 5 distal median margin with distinct tubercle, somite 4 with median tubercle (Fig. 9B); somites 2 and 3 trapezoidal, with long median spine; somite 1 short, with sharp median tubercle (Fig. 9B). Sternopleonal cavity deep, smooth; thoracic sternites 1–5 without median longitudinal line, suture between sternites 5 and 6 shallow, complete; pair of partially flattened prominences (homolid button, cf. Guinot & Bouchard 1998: 635, fig. 9c) on sternite 4 at margin of sternopleonal cavity, fits into pair of sockets on internal marginal surface of somite 6 (Fig. 9C).
G1 short, stout, distal part rounded; opening directed towards median part of thoracic sternum; groove submedian; dorso-median surface flat; distal part less rounded; opening auriculiform (Figs 9C, 15 D–F); marginal and submarginal surfaces along distal part with long setae (Fig. 15 D–F). G2 stout, as long as G1, basal part dilated, with long setae; distal part cup-like (Fig. 15G).
Colour
In life, the carapace and chelipeds are red; the ambulatory legs are red with patches of white and the ventral surfaces are dirty white (Fig. 17B).
Distribution
The species is known only from southwestern India.
Remarks
See the Discussion section.
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Kumar, Appukuttannair Biju, 2015, The species of Moloha Barnard, 1946, from the western Indian Ocean, with the description of a new species from India (Crustacea: Brachyura: Homolidae), pp. 1-25 in European Journal of Taxonomy 166 on pages 17-22, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2015.166, http://zenodo.org/record/3805729