Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca Latreille, 1802
Order: Decapoda Latreille, 1802
Family: Galatheidae Samouelle, 1819
Galathea nicobarica Tiwari, Padate, Cubelio & Osawa, 2022
Collection: Andaman Sea, northeast off Car Nicobar Island – 9.29°N, 92.91°E, 315 m, 28.01.2015 (FORVSS 334 leg II, St. 05), Naturalists dredge
Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ANO/00144
Description: Small galatheoid crab possessing carapace slightly longer than wide; dorsal surface glabrous in general, with transverse rows of interrupted ridges (epigastric row composed of short scaly ridges, 1 complete row on protogastric region, 2 rows on mesogastric region, 3 irregular rows on posterior half), no spines on gastric region and on hepatic regions and margins; anterolateral spine overreaching tip of lateral limit of orbit, but not reaching tip of basal lateral tooth of rostrum; lateral margin with no small spine between anterolateral spine and anteriormost spine of branchial margin; branchial margin with 4 spines. Rostrum broadly triangular, with 4 shallowly incised small teeth. Abdominal tergite 2 with 2 long transverse ridges, tergite 3 with 1 long transverse ridge, tergites 4–6 smooth. Antennular article 1 with well-developed distomesial spine. Antennal article 1 with distomesial spine reaching distal end of article 4. Mxp3 merus with 2 flexor marginal spines and small disto-extensor spine, distal spine larger than proximal spine; dactylus roundly truncate. P1 palm relatively broad, 1.4 times as long as wide, dorsomesial margin with row of small spines; fingers equal in length to palm, opposable margins of fingers spooned. Epipods absent.
Biological association: None.
Remarks: New species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 from Indian EEZ.
Distribution: Andaman Sea (type locality). Depth range: 315 m.
Distribution map:
Identified by: Shivam Tiwari
Publication: Tiwari S., Padate V.P., Cubelio S.S., Osawa M. (2022) Two new species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Galatheidae) from the Andaman Sea, India. Zootaxa, 5219 (2): 175–184. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5219.2.6
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