Necrocarcinus renfroae Stenzel, 1945

Guinot, Danièle, Vega, Francisco J. & Van Bakel, Barry W. M., 2008, Cenomanocarcinidae n. fam., a new Cretaceous podotreme family (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Raninoidia), with comments on related families, Geodiversitas 30 (4), pp. 681-719 : 681-719

Necrocarcinus renfroae Stenzel, 1945 ( Fig. 8 A-D)

Necrocarcinus renfroae Stenzel, 1945: 443 , fig. 15, pl. 41, fig. 13.

Remarks

Necrocarcinus renfroae , from upper Albian of Texas, was considered by Förster (1968: 176) as an intermediate between Cenomanocarcinus and Orithopsis tricarinata ( Bell, 1863) , and was referred to Cenomanocarcinus by Bishop (1986: table 2) and Schweitzer et al. (2003a: 36). The original material of N. renfroae comprises three carapaces which exhibit rather weak axial and branchial ridges, a deep branchiocardiac groove, and wide orbits. Examination of new photographs of two specimens in the type series ( Fig. 8 A-D), in particular the holotype from Pawpaw Formation (Tarrant County, Texas), suggests that the carapaces are worn and incomplete, very likely with broken lateral and frontal spines. The wide orbits are reminiscent of the enormous ones of “ N. ” siouxensis . Some of the differences observed between N. renfroae and the species of Cenomanocarcinus , such as the more elongate carapace and weaker ridges on dorsal surface, are likely due to deformation. Nevertheless, the deep branchiocardiac groove, the larger orbits, and absence of an epibranchial ridge distinguish it from Cenomanocarcinus and the Cenomanocarcinidae n. fam. The unknown ventral surface of N. renfroae hampers the progress in re-evaluating

the status of this taxon.

Cenomanocarcinidae n. fam. ( Crustacea, Decapoda ) from Cretaceous

bars: 10 mm.

Guinot D. et al.

Figures

FIG. 8. — A-D, “Necrocarcinus” renfroae Stenzel, 1945, Early Cretaceous, upper Albian, Texas, Pawpaw Formation; A, B, paratype (BEG-21094-A3), frontal and dorsal views; C, D, holotype (BEG-21093-A3), frontal and dorsal views; E, F, Necrocarcinus labeschii (Deslongchamps, 1835), Albian, Calais, Escalles, northwest France (B. van Bakel Colln), left chela and carapace. Scale