Sindheres karachiensis sp. nov.

(figures 1, 2)

Material. Arabian Sea, Pakistan, Sindh, Bulleji 24°50∞ 12◊N, 66°49∞12◊E, shore on clay rock, 21 August 1997, one ovigerous female, 3.25× 5 mm (holotype MRC Brac. 677).

Description. Ovigerous female: size small, cl 3.25 mm. Carapace fragile, greatest width posterior to mid-length. Front very slightly produced beyond outline of carapace. MXP3 propodus stout, length about twice height. Chela with movable fingers more than half length of palm, latter about 0.6 times height; movable finger with a tooth proximally and approximated cutting edge with a row of more than 22 anteriorly directed spines, fixed finger armed with a triangular tooth proximally, 2+12 anteriorly directed teeth on approximated cutting edge, and rows of setae. Walking legs slender, propodi of WL2 about five times and WL3 about four times longer than high; relative lengths WL2>WL3>WL1>WL4. WL4 not extending to dactylus of WL3; carpus shorter than propodus on all legs; WL1–WL4 setose on posterior margin, right WL2 dactylus setose on anterior and posterior margins as figured. WL1–3 dactyli subequal, WL4 dactylus shorter.

Colour. White with bright red eyes.

Host. Bivalve mollusc, most probably the genus Gastrochaema, family Gastrochaeinae in mantle cavity between foot and mantle as indicated by an arrow (figure 2), shell length 17.5 mm.

Habitat. Littoral, clay.

Remarks. This new species can be distinguished easily from all of the Indo-Pacific species described by Gordon (1936), Silas and Alagarswami (1967) and Tirmizi and Ghani (1996). It is a unique species having a hexagonal carapace, wellpigmented eyes, MXP palp slender, slender walking legs with subequal dactyli, of which the WL–3 is the longest, with a dactyl comparatively more setose on the right side.