Maja Lamarck, 1801

Ng, Peter K. L. & Forges, Bertrand Richer De, 2015, Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 110-225 : 119

Key to species of Maja Lamarck, 1801 , s. str.

1. Supraorbital eave relatively broad, as wide as long; dorsoanterior surface of carapace with 2 unarmed, relatively smooth dark oval window-like patches, one on each side of gastric region ( Figs. 6A, B , 36E ); ischium of third maxilliped ca. 1.5 times as long as wide ( Fig. 43F ); Mediterranean and adjacent Atlantic waters............................... Maja crispata Risso, 1827

– Supraorbital eave relatively narrow, longer than wide; dorsoanterior surface of carapace evenly granulated, without any unarmed or ovate patches ( Figs. 4 , 36A–D ); ischium of third maxilliped twice as long as wide ( Fig. 43A–E ); eastern Atlantic to western Indian Ocean .........................................................2

2. Carapace of adults longer than wide; adult pseudorostral spines subparallel; restricted to Mediterranean ( Fig. 36A )................. ................................................. Maja squinado (Herbst, 1788)

– Carapace of adults rounded, as long as large; adult pseudorostral spines diverging, forming a V ( Fig. 36B–D ); Atlantic to South Africa.......................................................................................3

3. Spines of lateral carapace margin relatively short; antorbital spine almost straight ( Figs. 4C–F , 36B, C ); northern Atlantic to mid-Atlantic ...................... M. brachydactyla ( Balss, 1922)

– Spines of lateral carapace margin relatively long; antorbital spine curved ( Figs. 5 , 36D ); southern Atlantic to South Africa....... .................................................... M. cornuta ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Figures

Fig. 6. General habitus and right first ambulatory legs. A, Maja crispata, male (63.1 × 51.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4042), Italy; B, Maja crispata, male (48.5 × 39.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4041), Italy; C, Neomaja goltziana, male (73.4 × 65.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4046), Congo; D, Neomaja goltziana, male (90.2 × 83.1 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4044), Gabon; E, Maja squinado, neotype male (147.1 × 126.3 mm) (SMF-4548), Croatia; F, Neomaja goltziana, male (74.7 × 66.7 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4043), Senegal; G, Paramaya spinigera, male (85.0 × 66.4 mm) (ZRC 1999.738), Taiwan; H, Paramaja turgida n. sp., holotype male (74.1 × 66.8 mm) (NMCR), Philippines.

Fig. 36. Frontal regions of carapaces. A, Maja squinado, neotype male (147.1 × 126.3 mm) (SMF-4548), Croatia; B, Maja brachydactyla, male (98.4 × 89.0 mm) (ZRC 2009.1130), U.K.; C, Maja brachydactyla, male (161.2 × 140.1 mm) (ZRC 2008.0179), Spain; D, Maja cornuta, male (115.3 × 103.4 mm) (ZRC 2013.1184), South Africa; E, Maja crispata, male (63.1 × 51.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4042), Italy; F, Neomaja goltziana, male (73.4 × 65.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4046), Congo; G, Paramaja kominatoensis, dried male (62.6 × 56.1 mm) (KPM NH0104298), Japan; H, Paramaja kominatoensis, dried male (73.0 × 66.0 mm) (PCM), Taiwan; I, Paramaja gibba, male (79.5 × 77.9 mm) (ZRC 2013.1232), Bay of Bengal; J, Paramaja turgida n. sp., holotype male (74.1 × 66.8 mm) (NMCR), Philippines; K, Paramaja turgida n. sp., paratype male (67.9 × 60.5 mm) (MNHN), Philippines; L, Alcomaja desmondi n. sp., holotype male (35.4 × 28.3 mm) (NMCR), Philippines; M, Alcomaja nagashimaensis, male (30.5 × 26.0 mm) (ZRC 2001.430), Philippines; N, Alcomaja latens n. sp., holotype male (25.3 × 21.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4050), Solomon Islands; O, Alcomaja miriky n. sp., holotype male (26.4 × 20.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-929), Madagascar.

Fig. 43. Third maxillipeds. A, Maja squinado, neotype male (147.1 × 126.3 mm) (SMF-4548), Croatia; B, Maja squinado, female (144.5 × 129.0 mm) (ZRC 2013.1126), Spain; C, Maja brachydactyla, male (98.4 × 89.0 mm) (ZRC 2009.1130), U.K.; D, Maja brachydactyla, male (161.2 × 140.1 mm), (ZRC 2008.0179), Spain; E, Maja cornuta, male (115.3 × 103.4 mm) (ZRC 2013.1184), South Africa; F, Maja crispata, male (63.1 × 51.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4042), Italy; G, Neomaja goltziana, male (73.4 × 65.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4046), Congo; H,Neomaja goltziana, male (90.2 × 83.1 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4044), Gabon; I, Paramaja kominatoensis, dried male (62.6 × 56.1 mm) (KPM NH0104298), Japan; J, Paramaja kominatoensis, dried male (73.0 × 66.0 mm) (PCM), Taiwan; K, Paramaja kominatoensis, dried male (60.4 × 52.5 mm) (KPM NH124171), Japan; L, Paramaja gibba, lectotype female (25.1 × 21.2 mm) (NHM 1896.5.14.9), India; M, Paramaja gibba, male (79.5 × 77.9 mm) (ZRC 2013.1232), Bay of Bengal; N, Paramaja turgida n. sp., holotype male (74.1 × 66.8 mm) (NMCR), Philippines; O, Paramaja turgida n. sp., paratype male (71.4 × 64.4 mm) (NSMT-Cr 22329), Philippines; P, Paramaja turgida n. sp., paratype male (67.9 × 60.5 mm) (MNHN), Philippines.

Fig. 4. General habitus, Maja species. A, Maja squinado, neotype male (147.1 × 126.3 mm) (SMF-4548), Croatia; B, Maja squinado, male (84.8 × 70.3 mm) (USNM 152563), Israel; C, Maja brachydactyla, male (61.5 × 53.8 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-4039), Morocco; D, Maja brachydactyla, male (161.2 × 140.1 mm), (ZRC 2008.0179), Spain; E, Maja brachydactyla, male (98.4 × 89.0 mm) (ZRC 2009.1130), U.K.; F, Maja brachydactyla, ovigerous female (119.0 × 103.0 mm) (ZRC 2009.1130), U.K.

Fig. 5. General habitus, Maja cornuta. A, dried female (96.8 × 89.5 mm) (ZMS) (lectotype of Maja squinado var. capensis Ortmann, 1894, and neotype of Cancer cornutus Linnaeus, 1758), South Africa; B, dried female (71.0 × 60.3 mm) (ZMS) (paralectotype of Maja squinado var. capensis Ortmann, 1894), South Africa; C, male (88.8 × 86.8 mm) (NHM 1928.12.1.177) (lectotype of Mamaia queketti Stebbing, 1908), South Africa; D, male (115.3 × 103.4 mm) (ZRC 2013.1184), South Africa.