Macrothea, Macpherson, Enrique & Cleva, Régis, 2010

Macpherson, Enrique & Cleva, Régis, 2010, Shallow-water squat lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from Mayotte (Comoros Island), La Réunion and Madagascar, with the description of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 2612, pp. 57-68 : 63

Macrothea new genus

Diagnosis. Carapace clearly longer than broad, lateral margins nearly parallel in posterior third, distinctly taper anteriorly; dorsal surface devoid of distinct striae, with some scattered short or long setae; spines only on epigastric and hepatic regions; lateral margins with some spines. Rostrum triangular, with 4 strong lateral teeth on each side. Epistome with ridge between marginal ridge (mouth) and ventral margin of orbit, without protuberance near marginal ridge; ridge at base of antennule scarcely discernible. Telson well developed, completely subdivided. Endopod of uropod longer than broad; dorsal surfaces of endopod and exopod of uropods with some articulated spines. Basal antennular segment with 3 distal spines. P1–4 stout, spinose and setose. Dactylus of walking legs curved inward distally, biunguiculate, with a well-developed claw on flexor margin. Chela of P5 with setae moderate in density on flexor face, without brush of plumose setae, fingers more setose, setae simple, not ribbon-like. Two pairs of male gonopods.

Type species. Macrothea bouchardi , new species.

Etymology. From the Greek makros, long, plus the last syllables of Galathea . Gender: feminine.

Remarks. The carapace dorsal surface devoid of distinct striae, the triangular rostrum with lateral spines on each side, well-developed eyes with broad and short eyestalks, and males with two pairs of gonopods link this new genus to Fennerogalathea Baba, 1988 , but their relationships are probably rather distant. Macrothea may be easily differentiated from Fennerogalathea by the following characters: (1) rostrum with 4 strong lateral teeth on each side, (2) carapace dorsal surface with spines only on epigastric and hepatic regions, (3) telson completely subdivided, and (4) P2–4 dactyli sharply biunguiculate. The shape of the P2–4 dactyli is similar to that of the genus Lauriea Baba, 1971 , from which the new genus can be differentiated, among other characters, by the shape of the endopod of uropods (clearly elongated in Lauriea ) and the presence of male gonopod 1 (only one in Lauriea ).