Lepidophthalmus madagassus (Lenz and Richters, 1881)

Figure 3

Callianassa madagassa Lenz and Richters, 1881: 427, figs 20–23.

Lepidophthalmus socotrensis Sakai and Apel, 2002: 278–285, figs 3–7 (type locality, Socotra, Yemen).

Podocallichirus madagassus.— Sakai, 1999: 56–58, fig. 10.— Sakai, 2011: 467, fig. 66C, D (synonymy).—Sakai et al., 2014: 502–507, figs 5, 6 (redescription, synonymy).

Lepidophthalmus madagassus.— Poore et al., 2019: 144.— Robles et al., 2020: figs 1, 4, 7, tables S1, S2.

Material examined. Saudi Arabia. Farasan Is, Tiger Head I., karstic shore, 16.79097° N, 42.19865° E, UF 36969 (1). Thuwal, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, silty sand flat, south beach, 22.29213° N, 39.09000° E, UF 37048 * + others (4 males, 6 females, 8.4–14 mm). Madagascar, Nosy Bé, MNHN Th 409 (1), MNHN Th 424 (male), MNHN Th 426 (male), NMV J58224 (1).

Diagnosis. Major cheliped dactylus swollen, upper and lower margins dentate; fixed finger with 2 dentate cutting edges. Rostrum acute, simple. Cl. to 18.1 mm.

Distribution. Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Western Indian Ocean (Saudi Arabia, Madagascar [type locality]).

Remarks. Lenz and Richters (1881) illustrated the minor cheliped that, with its broad spinose dactylus, immediately distinguishes this species from other species of Lepidophthalmus, from all other callichirids and from members of related families. Sakai et al. (2014) synonymised L. socotrensis with Podocallichirus madagassus [sic]; the new material would seem to confirm this and any differences in the shapes of the uropod and telson are size-related. The species’ range is extended into the Red Sea.

The male pleopod 1 has a short second article with a distal triangular apex (fig. 3a); pleopod 2 has an appendix masculina bearing a small field of hooks, all that remains of the appendix interna (fig. 3b) – not as complicated as in Sakai (1999: fig. 10). Female pleopods are typical of the genus (fig. 3c, d)—the appendix interna on pleopod 2 is placed about two-thirds along the mesial margin of the endopod.