New species of reef-associated squat lobster from Bay of Bengal, India

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca Latreille, 1802

Order: Decapoda Latreille, 1802

Family: Galatheidae Samouelle, 1819

Galathea kalingasagara Tiwari, Padate, Cubelio & Osawa, 2024

Collection: SW Bay of Bengal, east of Puducherry, Pondicherry, 11.99°N, 80.08°E, 52 m, 16.07.2005 (FORVSS 236, St. 30), Smith McIntyre grab.

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ANO/00167, IO/SS/ANO/00162, IO/SS/ANO/00163

Description: Carapace with epigastric ridge medially interrupted, unarmed; anterior protogastric ridge medially interrupted; posterior protogastric ridge scale-like; mesogastric & anterior metagastric ridges not extending laterally; mesogastric & anterior metagastric ridges medially uninterrupted; posterior metagastric ridge short, uninterrupted; parahepatic spine absent; hepatic spine present; cardiac region with short, submedian transverse ridges. Lateral margins convex / nearly straight, with spine between anterolateral spine & anteriormost spine of branchial margin; branchial margins with 5 spines. Rostrum triangular, with 4 deeply incised teeth on each lateral margin. Thoracic sternite 4 anterior margin wider than sternite 3. Pleonal somites 2–3 with 2 uninterrupted transverse ridges. Antennular article 1 with 3 well-developed distal spines. Antennal article 1 with short distomesial spine overreaching distal margin of article 2; article 3 with distomesial spine. Mxp3 merus with 3 subequal flexor marginal spines; extensor margin with distal spine.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: New species of reef-associated squat lobster from Indian waters.

Distribution: Southwestern Bay of Bengal. Depth range: 52 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Shivam Tiwari

Publication: Tiwari S., Padate V.P., Cubelio S.S., Osawa M. (2024) Galatheoid squat lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the epipelagic bottom of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, with descriptions of five new species. Zootaxa, 5501 (2): 291–314.