Tanaocheles Kropp, 1984

Ng, Peter K. L., 2000, The Indo-Paci ® c Pilumnidae XII. On the familial placement of Chlorodiella bidentata (Nobili, 1901) and Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984 using adult and larval characters with the establishment of a new subfamily, Tanaochelinae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 207-245 : 208-209

Tanaocheles Kropp, 1984

Tanaocheles Kropp, 1984: 744 .

Chlorodiella ; SereÁne, 1984: 254 (partim)

T ype species. Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984 , by monotypy. Gender of genus feminine.

Diagnosis. Carapace hexagonal in shape, broader than long, dorsal surfaces smooth, regions poorly demarcated; front gently sinuous, separated from inner supraorbital tooth by deep notch into which antennal ¯agellum ®ts; basal antennal segment large, rectangular, ®lling most of orbital hiatus; median lobe of posterior margin of epistome triangular, with median cleft; endostomial ridges well developed, strong even along anterior part; external orbital tooth small; anterolateral margin with two distinct spines; posterolateral margin strongly converging; merus of cheliped fused to basis-ischium; tips of ®ngers of cheliped spooned; ambulatory legs with special dactylo-propoda l articulation; all seven male abdominal segments (including telson) freely movable; G1 with proximal half relatively stout, distal part sinuous; G2 very short, sigmoid shaped.

Remarks. Ng (1998) recently clari®ed Trapeziidae characters and the placement of Tanaocheles in this family is unwarranted. Tanaocheles possesses chelipeds with distinctly spooned ®ngertips (sharp or rounded in Trapezidae ), a male abdominal with seven free segments (segments 3±5 immovable or all segments free in Trapeziidae ), a slender and sinuous G1 (relatively stout in Trapeziidae ) and a very short sigmoid G2 (proportionately longer in Trapeziidae ). Therefore Tanaocheles is here assigned to the Pilumnidae Samouelle, 1819 , sensu Guinot, 1978.