Leptodius exaratus (H. Milne Edwards, 1834)

Naderloo, Reza & Türkay, Michael, 2012, Decapod crustaceans of the littoral and shallow sublittoral Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf: Faunistics, Biodiversity and Zoogeography 3374, Zootaxa 3374 (1), pp. 1-67 : 44

Leptodius exaratus (H. Milne Edwards, 1834)

Persian Gulf. Kuwait ( Jones 1986a), Saudi Arabia ( Basson et al. 1977; Apel 2001), Bahrain ( Nobili 1906a; Stephensen 1946; Apel 2001), UAE ( Nobili 1906a; Titgen 1982; Hornby 1997; Apel 2001), Iran ( Stephensen 1946; present study).

Iran. Hormozgan Province: Qeshm I. (19 stations around the island), Bandar-Abbas, Baghestan, Bostanu , Mahtabi , Bandar-Kong , Bandar-Lengeh , Bandar-Divan , Bandar-Hassineh , Bandar-Charak , Chiruyeh , Bandar- Mogham , Moghdan . Bushehr Province: Khalij-Nayband (Haleh), Nakhl-Naghi, Bandar-Dayyer, Chapahn , Bandargah , Bushehr (Jofreh), Chahak, Chah-Shur, Bandar-Emam Hassan . Khuzestan Province: Bandar-Emam .

General distribution. Indo-West Pacific: South Africa, East Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Socotra, southern Oman (Dhofar), Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, India ( Bombay), Sri Lanka, Bay of Bengal, Mergui Archipelago, Christmas I., Middleton & Elisabeth Reefs, Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, NSW), Hawaiian Is.

Habitat. Rocky/cobble intertidal.

Remarks. Leptodius exaratus is one of the most common brachyuran species found on intertidal rocky shores along the Persian Gulf coast. This species shows a wide variability of colour patterns. The first male gonopod is a good and constant character for the identification of this species.