Wednesday, April 12, 2017

[Crustacea • 2017] Coleusia janani • A New Species of Leucosiid Crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Leucosiidae) from the Arabian Gulf


 Coleusia janani 
Giraldes, Al-Maslamani & Smyth, 2017 


Abstract

The Indo-West Pacific genus Coleusia Galil 2006, was recently described and now comprises seven species. We describe a new species from the western Arabian Gulf, Coleusia janani n. sp. The new species is closely related to the congener C. biannulata (Tyndale-Biscoe & George, 1962), and can be distinguished from other species at these genus congeners mainly by the straight upward apical shape of the male first pleopod (G1). An updated identification key to the species of Coleusia, as well as an overview of the geographical distribution of the species included in the genus are also presented.
  
Keywords: Crustacea, marine biodiversity, Qatar, taxonomy

Systematics

Family Leucosiidae Samouelle, 1819
Subfamily Leucosiinae Samouelle, 1819
Genus Coleusia Galil, 2006

Coleusia janani sp. nov.  

FIGURE 1. Coleusia janani n. sp., holotype male (carapace length 13.6 mm) (ESCMC 00161). Dorsal view of carapace, colours in life. 

Type locality. Arabian Gulf; off Qatar.

Etymology. In recognition of the Qatar University Oceanographic RV Janan used in the collection of the present material.

Distribution. Currently only known from the type locality.

Ecology. Offshore zones with sandy mixed substrates of gravel and mud; depth between 22 and 27 m. Material collected with water temperature that varied between 27 and 28°C and salinity between 39 and 41 ppt. 


 Bruno Welter Giraldes, Ibrahim Al-Maslamani and David Smyth. 2017. A New Species of Leucosiid Crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Leucosiidae) from the Arabian Gulf.
    Zootaxa.  4250(4); 389–395.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4250.4.9