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Issue: Vol. 5443 No. 1: 19 Apr. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-04-19
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5443.1.6
Page range: 116-126
Abstract views: 332
PDF downloaded: 6

The “Mr. and Mrs. Ghat crab”, Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov. (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Central Western Ghats of India

Zoological Survey of India; Western Regional Centre; Vidyanagar; Sector 29; P.C.N.T. Post; Akurdi; Pune-411 044; Maharashtra; India
Citizen Scientist; Karnataka Forest Department; Kali Tiger Reserve Division; Anshi Wildlife Range; Anshi-581 187; Karnataka; India
Citizen Scientist; Honnepal; Bare Post-581 337; Karnataka; India
Crustacea taxonomy new species freshwater crab Karnataka

Abstract

A new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov., is described herein from the Kali Tiger Reserve of the Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka state, India. The Kali Tiger Reserve is a protected area, which is situated in the Central Western Ghats. The new species superficially most resembles Ghatiana sanguinolenta Pati, Thackeray & Pawar, 2023, from Karnataka but can easily be distinguished mainly by its ultimate article of the male first gonopod, which is distally gently curved inwards against the gently outwardly curved distal portion of the ultimate article in the latter species. Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov. is also compared with the remaining species of the genus from Karnataka and some morphologically related species from Maharashtra. The difference in colour in life has been noticed between males and females of G. dvirupa sp. nov.; as such the common name of the new species is proposed as “Mr. and Mrs. Ghat Crab”. Ghatiana Pati & Sharma, 2014, is now known for 13 species, all from the Western Ghats of India. Karnataka currently possesses six species of Ghatiana, and many new species are yet to be described.

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