Ebalia, 1817

Ossó, Àlex, Gagnaison, Cyril & Gain, Olivier, 2022, A re-appraisal of the middle-late Miocene fossil decapod crustaceans of the ‘ Faluns’ (Anjou-Touraine, France), Geodiversitas 44 (6), pp. 207-228 : 214-216

‘ Ebalia ’ cf. hungarica Müller, 1974

( Fig. 4F, G )

‘ Ebalia ’ cf. hungarica Müller, 1974a: 121 , 126, pl. 1, figs 5-7.

‘ Ebalia ’ hungarica – Müller 1984: 70, pl. 44, fig. 5, pl. 45, figs 1-5. — Hyžný & Dulai 2021: 171, figs 64.1-9.

MATERIAL EXAMINED AND MEASUREMENTS (in mm). — One small carapace almost complete, with preserved cuticle, ULB-IV-A (7): L = 8.5; W = 7.5.

LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — ‘Blandinerie’ quarry, Breil (Maine-et-Loire). ‘Savignean facies’, Langhian (middle Miocene).

DESCRIPTION

Carapace small, subhexagonal slightly elongate, longer than wide, strongly convex longitudinally and transversely; regions strongly swollen, axially more elevated, well separated by grooves; whole carapace surface uniformly covered by close minute perliform granules. Front broken, but appears to be narrow and produced. Orbits not completely preserved, only the right orbit partially preserved, very close to the front; supraorbital margin raised, with medial tooth, separated from outer orbital corner by a closed fissure; outer orbital corner subtriangular in dorsal view; infraorbital margin visible in dorsal view, bearing a subtriangular distal tooth separated from the corner by a fissure. Anterolateral margin with prominent hepatic lobe. Posterolateral margin convex, rounded in section. A groove notching the margin separates both margins. Posterior margin short, appears to be bilobate, albeit only the right lobe in preserved. Meso-, meta-, and urogastric regions elevated, weakly differentiated. Protogastric lobes inflated, with central tubercle. Cardiac region rounded strongly raised. Intestinal region very short, depressed. Hepatic lobes strongly inflated. Branchial regions swollen, undifferentiated, with one central tubercle.

REMARKS

This small carapace fits largely with the diagnosis and figures of ‘ Ebalia’ hungarica (see Müller 1974a: 121, 126, pl. 1, figs 1-5; 1984: 70, pl. 44, fig. 5, pl. 45, figs 1-5), in particular with the holotype. However, the French form appears to be more rounded and vaulted. A close examination of the type series, and additional material from the ‘Faluns’, would be necessary to stablish the conspecificity of both forms, and also to review the generic attribution of this species. Meanwhile, we place the ‘Faluns’ specimen tentatively as ‘ Ebalia ’ cf. hungarica.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Decapod from the Tortonian of the ‘ Noyant-la-Plaine’ quarry, Doué-la-Fontaine (Maine-et-Loire): A-C, Lobocarcinus sismondai (von Meyer, 1843), ULB-IV-A (3): A, dorsal view; B, close-up of front in dorsal view; C, close-up of front and orbits in frontal view. Decapods from the ‘ Savignean facies‘ (Langhian) of the ‘Blandinerie’ quarry, Breil (Maine-et-Loire): D, E, Hebertides jurassica Guinot, De Angeli & Garassino, 2007, ULB-IV-A (5): D, left lateral view; E, dorsal view; F, G, ‘Ebalia’ cf. hungarica Müller, 1974a, ULB-IV-A (7): F, frontal view; G, dorsal view; H-M, Maja orbignyana Millet de la Turtaudière, 1865: H, ULB-IV-A (1), dorsal view; I, ULB-IV-A (2), left lateral view; J dorsal view; K, ULB-IV-A (23), frontal view; L, dorsal view; M, ventral view. Abbreviations: ab, basal antennal article; dsab, distal spines of basal article; ias, interantennular spine; iot, infraorbital tooth. Scale bars: A-E, H-M, 10 mm; F, G, 5 mm. Photographs by À. Ossó.