Eriocheir hepuensis Dai, 1991 (Brachyura, Grapsoidea, Varunidae, Varuninae): reporting the southerly distribution to northern Vietnam

Abstract

Eriocheir hepuensis Dai, 1991, the Hepu mitten crab, is here formally reported from Thanh Hoa and Quang Ninh Provinces, northern Vietnam. Previous reports of “E. sinensis” and “E. japonicus” from “Cua lông”, Thai Binh Province, northern Vietnam, require clarification, are probably misidentifications of E. hepuensis, and highlight the problems of species identification within Eriocheir. The taxonomy of E. hepuensis is also discussed.