On the identities of Nepinnotheres vicajii (Chhapgar, 1957) and Arcotheres casta (Antony & Kuttyamma, 1971) from western India: conspecificity and taxonomy (Decapoda, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae)

Abstract

<jats:p>The identity of Nepinnotheres vicajii (Chhapgar, 1957) (described as Pinnotheres vicajii) (Pinnotheridae), a pea crab associated with the bivalve Marcia recens (Holten, 1802), is clarified. On the basis of re-diagnosis of holotype male and freshly collected female specimens from its type locality, P. vicajii is now assigned to Arcotheres Manning, 1993. A second poorly known species from India, Arcotheres casta (Antony &amp; Kuttyamma, 1971), originally collected from Meretrix casta (Gmelin, 1791) is also synonymized with A. vicajii. </jats:p>

A Review of the Ecomorphology of Pinnotherine Pea Crabs (Brachyura: Pinnotheridae), with an Updated List of Symbiont-Host Associations

“…The dactyli are described as 'sword-shaped' [115], being straighter and more elongated (longer or of equal length as the attached propodus) than the dactyli of the other ambulatory legs ( Figure 8B) [19]. The dactyli of the last pair of ambulatory legs are often ornamented with rows of short, simple setae (e.g., A. ridgewayi (Southwell, 1911), illustrated in [121]) and a row of denticles (e.g., most conspicuous in A. placunae (Hornell & Southwell, 1909), illustrated in [122], and A. vicajii (Chhapgar, 1957) [123]). (Bürger, 1895), with sword-shaped last ambulatory leg dactyli, with microstructured dactylus tip, after [19].…”