Lambrachaeus ramifer Alcock, 1895

Shaga, I Bevin, Priya, K, Ramar, Selvakumar, Srinidhi, S, Mohan, G Chandra, Ranganathan, Sukanya, Moulvi, S M M & Mani, Bhuvaneswari, 2023, A Small Collection of Subtidal Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from the Palau Islands Collected by Dredging, Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series A, Zoology 49 (1), pp. 7-42 : 13-14

Lambrachaeus ramifer Alcock, 1895

( Fig. 3D–E )

Material examined. Inside of Gesodokkuru Reef , off Arumonogui, Babelthuap I., Palau Is., dredged, ca. 20 m in depth, dead coral and sand; 1♂ (cb 4.8×pcl 8.0 mm), NSMT-Cr 30963; July 14, 1980; K. Baba leg.

Remarks. This unusual crab having dead twig appearance is not the majid, but definitely indicated as a monotypic species in the family Parthenopidae by the excellent study of Ng and McLay (2003) (cf. Remarks on Rhinolambrus turriger in this paper). In the specimen examined ( Fig. 3D–E ), all the chelipeds and ambulatory legs are detached, and the distal part of the rostrum is broken off in front of the strong spine at the lower margin. However, there is no problem in the identification, with fine figures given by the original author (Alcock, 1895: pl. 3 fig. 1), Edmondson (1952: fig. 9), Griffin and Tranter (1974: fig. 2), Kensley (1977: figs. 1–2), Takeda and Marumura (1994: fig. 1), and Ng and McLay (2003). The G1 and G2 were illustrated by Griffin and Tranter (1974: fig. 2), and Ng and McLay (2003: fig. 6).

Distribution. Japan, Hawaii and Taiwan in the West Pacific, the Andaman Islands, the Maldive Islands, and South Africa in the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea, with bathymetric range from 16 to 90 m. New to the Palau Islands.

Figures

Fig. 3. A–C: Rhinolambrus turriger (White), ♂ (NSMT-Cr 30964; cb 11.4×cl 11.3mm including front and excluding posterior tubercles). Overall appearance, with original label (A) and carapace in doral (B) and frontal (C) views. D–E: Lambrachaeus ramifer Alcock, ♂(NSMT-Cr 30963; cb 4.8×pcl 8.0mm). Dorsal view, with detached chelipeds and ambulatory legs (D) and carapace in lateral view (E).