Medaeus elegans A. Milne-Edwards, 1867

Mendoza, Jose Christopher E. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2010, The Euxanthine Crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) Of The Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58 (1), pp. 57-74 : 65

Medaeus elegans A. Milne-Edwards, 1867

Medaeus elegans – Serène & Umali, 1972: 63, Pl. 6 Figs. 7–10.

Material examined. – 1 male, 13.9 × 11.0 mm, 1 ovig. female, 13.9 by 10.0 mm ( ZRC 1973.10.31.102–103), Stn. D 7, 10 fathoms (18 m), Pearl Bank, Sulu Sea, coll. A. F. Umali, Pele-Sulu Sea Expedition , 15 Feb.1964 .

Remarks. – This species was described from New Caledonia (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) and has been reported from Hawaii ( Edmondson, 1925, 1962; Guinot, 1967a). Serène & Umali, (1972) reported one male and one ovigerous female from Pearl Bank in the Sulu archipelago, collected during the Pele Sulu Sea Expedition. There have been no other reports of this species from the Philippines since. The taxonomy of this species will pose problems. The authors have noted key differences between the New Caledonian (type), Hawaiian and Philippine specimens (unpublished data), and it is likely that Medaeus elegans , as presently known, is actually a species complex. Although Serène & Umali (1972) make detailed comparisons between their Philippine material and other specimens recorded elsewhere, including the type, they were based on published text and figures and not on the actual specimens themselves. In any case, their identification of the Philippine material as “ Medaeus elegans ” is provisionally followed pending further revisions.