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| Aradhya placida Pati, Bajantri & Hegde, 2023 |
Abstract
A new genus and new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Aradhya placida gen. et sp. nov., is recognized from the northern part of the Central Western Ghats of India. The new genus is diagnosed, and the new species from the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, is described herein. The new genus most resembles Arcithelphusa Pati & Sudha Devi, 2015, Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909, Rajathelphusa Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2021, and Pavizham Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2022, in having an ovate, relatively narrow and deep carapace, with the front narrow as compared to other Indian gecarcinucid genera. Aradhya gen. nov. is nevertheless separated from those genera by the characters in the carapace, epigastric and postorbital cristae, external orbital angle, cervical grooves, third maxilliped, chelipeds, male thoracic sternites/sternopleonal cavity/pleon, male second gonopod, and especially by the elongated male telson and the stouter ultimate article of the male first gonopod.
Keywords: Crustacea, taxonomy, description, Karnataka
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| Aradhya placida gen. et sp. nov., holotype male (25.12 × 19.85 mm) (ZSI-WRC C.2292). A, overall dorsal view; B, frontal view of cephalothorax; C, overall ventral view. Scale bar = 10 mm. |
Aradhya placida gen. et sp. nov.
Etymology. The genus is named after Miss Aaradhya Bajantri, the only daughter of the second author of the present paper. “Aradhya” also means “the first one” in Sanskrit. Crabs of this new genus are the first ones among the Indian gecarcinucid crabs observed to be non-aggressive and quite calm. Gender: feminine.
Sameer Kumar Pati, Parashuram Prabhu Bajantri, Gopalkrishna Dattatraya Hegde. 2023. A New Genus and New Species of Freshwater Crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Central Western Ghats of India. Zootaxa. 5285(1); 161-175. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5285.1.7
