Charybdis (Charybdis) helleri (A. Milne Edwards, 1867)

Gokul, A., 2017, Taxonomy and ecology of brachyuran crabs in Sunderbans, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 117 (2), pp. 131-139 : 134

4. Charybdis (Charybdis) helleri (A. Milne Edwards, 1867)

1867. Goniosoma helleri A. Milne Edwards, Annls. Soc. Ent. Fr. , sér.

4, 7: 282. 1899. Charybdis (Goniosoma) merguiensis, Alcock, J. Asiat. Soc.

Bengal, 68 (2): 55. 2000. Charybdis (Charybdis) helleri, Dev Roy and Das, Rec. zool.

Surv. India, Occ. Paper No., 185

7, 8.

Materials: Total 04 examples; KN 1559, Coll. A. Gokul,

17.3.10, Bali Island, 04 exs.

Characters: Carapace broad, convex, pubescent and bearing the usual transverse ridges. Front deeply cut into six teeth, apices of middle two teeth rounded. Antero-

tooth directed antero-laterally. Lobule at the outer end of lower border of orbit obtuse not dentiform. Chelipeds stout, unequal; arm with three spines on the anterior border; proximal spine shortest, almost inconspicuous; distal two very strong and much larger; wrist armed with a large pointed spine at its inner angle, outer surface also surface, larger two along the inner border and smaller the wrist-joint. Posterior border of carpus of last pair of legs armed with an acute spine, dactylus serrated at the lower margin. Sixth segment of male adomen as long as broad with the sides parallel at basal two-thirds and then convergent distally.

Distribution:

West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Middle Andamans. Elsewhere:

from Mediterranean to Hawaii.