Ocypode ceratophthalma (Pallas, 1772)

Gokul, A., 2017, Taxonomy and ecology of brachyuran crabs in Sunderbans, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 117 (2), pp. 131-139 : 136

10. Ocypode ceratophthalma (Pallas, 1772)

1772. Cancer ceratophthalmus Pallas, Spicilegia Zool. , 9: 83, pl. 5,

1957. Ocypoda ceratophthalma, Chhapgar, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 54

2005. Ocypode ceratophthalma, Dev Roy and Bhadra, Zool. Surv.

India. Fauna of Andhra Pradesh State, Fauna Series, 5:(Part

5): 500.

Materials: Total 31 examples; KN 1410, Coll. A. Gokul, 29.3.08, Champta, 02 exs; KN 1503, Coll. A. Gokul, 20.4.09, Bakkhali, 27 exs; KN 1627, Coll. A. Gokul,

15.9.10, Gangasagar, 01 ex; KN 1634, Coll. A. Gokul,

16.9.10, Gangasagar, 01 ex.

Characters: Carapace thick, squarish, surface covered angles acute and directed outwards, anterior one-third of the lateral borders nearly straight and parallel; margins margin also crenated with an indistinct notch at its middle, no gap at the outer margin; eye-salks prolonged beyond the carapace as a blunt narrow horn. Chelipeds maekedly unequal and scabrous, rugulose or with squamiform arrangement; inner corner of wrist armed with a strong spine. Palm compressed, high; outer surface coarsely granular; a stridulating organ present and consisting of a few rounded granules on the upper part followed by several rather widely spaced striae and then more very close-set striae at the lower half; upper of walking legs broadened, fourth pair shortest with a hairy on the anterior edges of adults, hairs absent in antero-lateral margin. Sixth segment of male abdomen larger than broad.

Distribution: Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andamans and Lakshadweep Islands. Elsewhere: East coast of Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Maldives, Srilanka, Australia and Hawaii.