Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca Latreille, 1802
Order: Decapoda Latreille, 1802
Family: Dromiidae De Haan, 1833
Sphaerodromia nux Alcock, 1900
Tagline: First record of deep-water sponge crab from India
Collection: SE Bay of Bengal, off South Andaman Island, 11.93°N 92.28°E, 290 m, 12.04.2016 (FORVSS 349 leg II, St. 09), High Speed Demersal Trawl (Crustacean Version).
Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/BRC/00295
Description: Carapace wider than long, globose, strongly convex, rising steeply above anterior and lateral margins, covered by short tomentum. Rostrum bilobed, lateral teeth blunt. Anterolateral margin begins beneath suborbital margin, evenly rounded, bearing many small conical tubercles. Pereopods covered with short setae, margins fringed with longer stiff setae. Chelipeds with meral borders bearing small tubercles; carpal upper margin carinate, surface granular; propodal outer face, upper and lower borders of propodus have small tubercles arranged roughly in longitudinal rows; fingers long, pearly white, cutting margin with five blunt, interlocking teeth and five smaller proximal teeth. Pereopods 2–3 shorter than chelipeds, smooth, laterally compressed, acute distal spine on propodus, dactylar inner margins with 6 or 7 short spines; P4 dactylus opposed by 3 / 4 unequal propodal spines, inner dactylar margin with 4 short spines. P5 dactylus opposed by 4 short propodal spines, 3 small spines on inner margin. Epipods on P1–P4, podobranchs on P1–P3. Abdominal locking mechanism comprises serrated ridges on P2–P3 coxae.
Biological association: None.
Remarks: First distributional record from Indian EEZ.
Distribution: Bay of Bengal, Japan, Philippines, Southeast Molucca Islands, Indonesia. Depth range: 205–307 m.
Distribution map:
Identified by: Vinay P. Padate
Publication: Padate V.P., Sherine Sonia Cubelio, Takeda M. (2021) Rare deep-water crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda) from Indian waters, with description of one new species. Nauplius, 29: e2021034. DOI: 10.1590/2358-2936e2021034
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