Paramaya De Haan, 1837

Ng, Peter K. L. & Forges, Bertrand Richer De, 2015, Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 110-225 : 154-155

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5384590
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:40BCDD62-D35E-46D1-95A3-2CC0DF219DEE
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A9654B-FFAD-0775-54BD-FB3D7A8BFF56
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Paramaya De Haan, 1837
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Paramaya De Haan, 1837 View in CoL

Maja (Paramaya) De Haan, 1837 : pl. 24, fig. 4.

Maja (Paramaya) – De Haan, 1837: errata.

Paramaya View in CoL – Rathbun, 1905: 73.

Maja View in CoL – T. Sakai, 1938: 296 (part). – T. Sakai, 1965: 83 (part). (not Maja Lamarck, 1801 View in CoL ).

Diagnosis. Carapace ovate; dorsal surface convex, covered by granules or tubercles; gastric and branchial regions distinct, clearly delimited by distinct grooves ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig ). Intestinal region with long, distinct median spine ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig ). Pseudorostral spines very long, diverging ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig , 37A–C View Fig ). Supraorbital eave with anterior part longitudinally narrow, rectangular, not prominently expanded; antorbital spine sharp ( Fig. 37A–C View Fig ). Intercalated spine distinct, separated from supraorbital eave and postorbital spine by wide gaps; postorbital spine strong; hepatic region with 1 strong spine, slightly shorter or longer than postorbital spine; 1 smaller spine below ( Fig. 37A–C View Fig ). Lateral carapace margin with 3 long spines and numerous granules and spinules, branchial region with 3, sometimes 4 spines ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig ). Posterior carapace margin with 2 long median spines ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig ). Eyes relatively long, slender, with ovoid cornea ( Fig. 37A–C View Fig ). Antennal flagellum short, slender. Basal antennal article longer than broad, rectangular; surface with several low tubercles, with 2 spines distally; inner and outer lateral margins smooth to uneven; proximal outer angle acute, may be produced into spine; antero-external crested rim of antennular fossa overlaps distal part of basal antennal article by about a third of its width, forming hook-like structure ( Fig. 40A–C View Fig ). Epistome rectangular, longer than broad, anterior margin with 2 tubercles; posterior margin composed of 4 rectangular plates separated by shallow fissures ( Figs. 40A–C View Fig , 42A, B View Fig ). Suborbital margin separated from basal antennal article by U-shaped cleft, separated from margin of postorbital tooth by deep fissure ( Fig. 40A–C View Fig ). Outer surface of third maxilliped covered by setae; ischium subrectangular, longer than broad; postero-external angle of merus very narrow, elongate, “inserted” into deep concavity on outer margin of ischium; antero-internal part of ischium acutely triangular ( Fig. 45I–L View Fig ). Male chelipeds relatively long in adult males, surfaces of merus and carpus almost smooth; carpus elongate; propodus of palm elongated, may be inflated, curved, smooth, may have lateral cristae, palm longer than fingers ( Fig. 54A, C View Fig ); fingers long, slender, almost straight to gently curved, with or without distinct basal gape when closed ( Figs. 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig , 54A–C View Fig ). Ambulatory legs relatively long, slender; merus with long dorsal subdistal spine; dactylus elongate, curved, covered with long setae except for corneous tip ( Figs. 6G View Fig , 21 View Fig , 22A–C View Fig , 56A, B View Fig ). Thoracic sternum longer than wide; surfaces of somites 5–8 with small granules; sternites 3 and 4 distinctly depressed; margin between sternites 2 and 3 demarcated by deep cleft; anterior margin of sternoabdominal cavity not forming complete rim ( Figs. 50A–C View Fig , 52H View Fig ). Male abdomen subtriangular, with 6 free somites and telson; somites 3 and 4 wider than somites 5, 6 and telson ( Fig. 50A–C View Fig ). Male press-button abdominal locking mechanism submedian in position on sterno-abdominal cavity ( Fig. 52H View Fig ). Female abdomen dome-shaped, covering most of thoracic sternum. G1 very long, slender, gently curved; distal part with rounded tip, dorsal part folding upwards to form distinct dorsal projection, with scattered very short setae ( Fig. 23 View Fig ).

Type species. Maja (Maja) spinigera De Haan, 1837 View in CoL , by monotypy.

Remarks. The genus Paramaya was established by De Haan (1837: 24) to accommodate Maja (Maja) spinigera . As discussed earlier (see remarks for Maja ), the name is available even though it is very similar in spelling to Paramaja Kubo, 1936 . In the present study, we add two new species to Paramaya , P. ouch n. sp. from the Philippines and P. coccinea n. sp. from Vanuatu.

Members of Paramaya are distinctive with their very long carapace spines, elongate epistome and spinose ambulatory meri, and cannot be confused with any other genus. The carapaces of most of the Paramaya specimens examined were not extensively covered with animals or debris, and species generally only have sparse stiff setae on their bodies. Their ambulatory legs, however, are densely covered with long stiff setae and these often trap debris.

White (1847: 7) recognised a new species: “ PARAMAYA Dehaanii , n. s.” but did not provide any data or description.

His name is a nomen nudum and is not possible to identify at the moment.