First Records of Leucosiid Crabs: <i>Hiplyra sagitta</i> (Galil, 2009) from Iraqi Coast, NW-Arabian Gulf

Abstract

In the present study, a Leucosiid crab Hiplyra sagitta (Galil, 2009), was found for the first time in the Iraqi coast, from the lower reaches of Shatt Al-Arab at Fao city, Basrah, Iraq, during November 2016. Diagnostic characters of the species are figured and its world geographical distribution, especially in the Persian Gulf region is considered.Keywords New records; Hiplyra sagitta; Decapoda BackgroundLeucosiidae is common family in the Arabian-Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and red sea. This is most diverse and distribution of all brachyuran families (Stephensen, 1946; Titgen, 1982; Apel, 2001 Naderloo andTürkay, 2012). Leucosiidae family formed about 16.6% of all brachyuran crab species of the Persian Gulf (Apel, 2001).Previous studies on the Persian Gulf brachyuran crabs are confined to Stephensen (1945), Basson et al. (1977), Titgen (1982), Jones (1986), Apel (1994), Cooper (1995), Al-Ghais and Cooper (1996), Bahmani (1997), Apel (2001), Naderloo and Sari (2007), Galil (2009), Gilil et al. (2012, Naderloo and Apel (2012) and Naderloo and Türkay (2012) have increased the number of reported leucosiid species to 37. The aim of the present paper deals with first record for Iraqi coast of Leucosiid crabs H. sagitta from fresh specimens collected from NW of the Arabian Gulf at Fao region and to add this species to the brachyuran crabs list of Iraqi waters. Materials and MethodsThe specimens of Leucosiid crabs H. sagitta were collected from intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of Iraqi coast at the Rass Al-Beshaa area from the lower reaches of the Shatt Al-Arab in Fao city, north-western Arabian Gulf (Figure 1) by hand and trawl net. Some physico-chemical parameters recorded from the study area during the collections made in November 2016 are: water temperature, 22.5°C; pH, 7.68; salinity, 34.5 psu; dissolved oxygen, 6.94 mg/L. The specimens of Leucosiid crabs H. sagitta were preserved in 70-80% alcohol and shipped to the laboratory of Marine biology Dep., Marine science Center, University of Basrah and deposited in the (MSC, 54).The specimens of this species were identified following: Galil (2009) DiagnosisCarapace (Figure 2A) discoidal, convex; dorsal surface finely punctate on branchial, cardial and intestinal regions, along branchio-cardiac grooves, and medially on gastric region.Anterolateral and posterolateral border covered with larger to smaller granules; front crescentic shaped nearly smooth; shallow anterior margin of efferent channel nearly straight, separated from lateral granulated margin by narrow U-shaped incision. lower margin bearing line of prominent granules. Abdominal segments 3-6, Male abdomen ( Figure 2B) elongate-triangular; telson completely smooth.Ischium of 3rd maxilliped slightly longer than merus, about 1.22 times merus length. Margins of fused male abdominal segments 2-6 distally carinate. Margins of fused abdominal segments in female minutely granulate ( Figure 2C).Chelipeds equal in size and shape; merus longer than total length of carapace, Male chelipeds ( Figure 2A) modera...