Liomera laevis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)

Devi, S. Suvarna, Mendoza, Jose C. E., Ravinesh, R., Idress Babu, K. K., Kumar, A. Biju & Ng, Peter K. L., 2019, On a collection of brachyuran crabs from Lakshadweep, Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 4613 (3), pp. 477-501 : 487

Liomera laevis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873) *

( Fig. 3D )

Material examined. 1 female (20.9 x 12.1 mm) ( DABFUK), Minicoy, 26 September 2014 .

Remarks. The sole specimen from Minicoy is a female, so its identification is tentative until a male specimen can be collected for confirmation. Nevertheless, it is identified as L. laevis on the basis of the absence of a groove separating 2F+1M from 2M, the relatively shallow and poorly defined furrow separating 3M from 2M, and the poorly defined posterior boundaries of 2L+3L and 5L+6L (viz. Serène & Nguyen 1960; Serne 1984). This species is also quite similar to L. tristis , which has previously been recorded from Lakshadweep ( Thomas 1969; Dev Roy 2008). The taxonomy of these two species will need to be reviewed. The present specimen of L. laevis represents a new record for Lakshadweep, the species having been previously found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by Dev Roy & Nandi (2005).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Elamena gracilis (A–F). A, D–F, lectotype, male, 5.0 x 4.4 mm (CMZ I64238), Male Atoll, Maldives; B, paralectotype, female, 6.0 x 5.1 mm) (CMZ I64236), on reef, Minicoy; C, ovig. female, 7.3 x 6.2 mm, same data as lectotype.A–C, dorsal habitus; D, left third maxilliped, external view; E, pleon and pleotelson, ventral view; F, left G1, abdominal (external) view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.