Bellayra persicum, Mitra, 2022

Bellayra persicum View in CoL gen. nov., sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 )

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:702C4D77-49BB-4EBD-A357-45E0887B22B3

Material examined. Holotype: male (CL 7.88 mm,

CB 7.83 mm) (ZSI-896/10), Persian Gulf.

Comparative material: see material examined and comparative material under B. sexangula .

Diagnosis. Carapace rhomboidal, slightly broader than long. Dorsal surface moderately convex, punctuate, minutely granular; regions relatively defined, elevated, finely tuberculated ridge along median part, larger tubercle on cardiac region; lateral margins finely tuberculate, epibranchial angle obtuse, distinct tubercle on posterolateral margin; posterolateral angle with prominent obtuse tubercle. Chelipeds robust, large, about 2.5 times as long as carapace width. Male abdomen with 3 articulating somites, somites 2 to 6 tightly fused; somite 6 with distinct median denticle; telson broadly triangular, longer than broad. G1 long, slender, 2 times twisted along its length, tip elongated, tubular, apical lobe with long setae.

Description. Carapace rhomboidal ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ), slightly broader than long. Dorsal surface convex, globose; minutely granular with scattered punctae extending to ventral surface ( Fig. 4d View Figure 4 ), regions relatively indistinct; gastric, cardiac, branchial, and intestinal regions elevated, broad truncate tubercle on metagastric region, undulating median ridge starting from protogastric region merging with elevated intestinal region, reaching highest elevation in metagastric region ( Fig. 4a, e View Figure 4 ); protogastric region depressed; branchial region with broad tuberculated ridge originating from posterolateral margin, its anterior part longitudinal, posterior part oblique hepatic facet broad and shallow, floor of facet with scattered punctae, upper and lower margins obtusely beaded, not merging anteriorly, posteriorly facet joins anterolateral margin at obtuse angle. Anterolateral, posterolateral, posterior margins rimmed by obtuse tubercles; epibranchial angle obtuse; posterolateral margin sinuous, slightly convex.Front almost straight, slightly elevated, bilobed, divided by shallow median groove. Posterior margin almost straight, weakly beaded bearing blunt teeth on each lateral side.

Third maxillipeds( Fig.5c View Figure 5 )covered with numerous punctae; merus 0.9 times as long as ischium along inner margin; ischium 1.7 times longer than wide; basis expanded, more than half length of exopod; carpus, propodus and dactylus not visible in external view when reposed, articulating on inner surface of merus, dactylus apex bearing long setae. Exopod ( Fig.5c View Figure 5 )outer margin convex, much longer than wide, around twice the length of merus, outer and inner margins bearing fringe of setae.

Chelipeds ( Fig. 4a, d View Figure 4 ) subequal, about 2.5 times length of carapace width. Merus with upper and lower margins beaded, inner surface punctate posteriorly, broad ridge running throughout the length terminating in tubercle proximally.Carpus about one-third length of merus, elevated medially. Palm ( Fig. 5a, b View Figure 5 ) longer than dactylus, upper and lower margins covered with scattered granules, ventral margin granular ( Fig.5a, b View Figure 5 ), inner surface ( Fig. 5b View Figure 5 ) with 3 ridges, lower-most ridge tuberculated running parallel to lower margin of palm. Fingers terminating in sharp tooth. Dactylus outer margin smooth, inner margin with ridge running parallel to upper margin. Pollex outer margin with scattered granules, inner margin with ridge running parallel to lower margin. Cutting edges of fingers with blunt denticles covered with scattered setae.

P2–P5 ( Fig. 4a, d View Figure 4 ) subcylindrical; total lengths decreasing from first to last pair, glabrous; merus longest as compared to carpus, propodus, and dactylus; upper and lower margins of propodus and dactylus covered with long setae.

Thoracic sternum covered with sparse punctuations, slightly concave, with thickened margins along bases of ambulatory legs. Abdominal fossa margin beaded along anterior two sternites ( Fig. 4d View Figure 4 ).

Male abdomen ( Figs. 4d View Figure 4 , 5d View Figure 5 ) with 3 articulating somites, covered with few punctae, somite 1 narrow, with posterolateral angle tuberculated, median part slightly protruding; somite 2 to 6 fused, immovable, posterolateral angles with prominent bulge, complete suture between somites 5 and 6 visible, distinct tubercle on center of somite 6, telson longer than broad, largely triangular, with curved apex. Lateral margins of somite 6 convex.

G1 ( Fig. 5e View Figure 5 ) long, slender, 2 times twisted along the length, tip elongated, tubular, apical lobe ( Fig. 5f View Figure 5 ) with long setae.

Distribution. So far only known only from Persian

Gulf.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Persian Gulf, which is called “Sinus Persicus” in the ancient Greek literature.

Remarks. Bellayra persicum gen. nov., sp. nov. can be distinguished from B. nishihirai gen. nov., comb. nov. (type locality: Oura River, Okinawa-Jima Island, Japan) in the following characters: mesogastric region of carapace smooth laterally ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. a line of granules in B. nishihirai , Fig.6a View Figure 6 ; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 2A; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: fig. 2); hepatic region without row of tubercles ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. single row present in B. nishihirai , Fig. 6a View Figure 6 ; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: fig. 2); posterior margin straight ( Fig. 4a, d View Figure 4 ) (vs. weakly concave B. nishihirai , Fig. 6a View Figure 6 ; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 2A; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: figs. 1a, 2); cheliped merus outer surface with tuberculated ridge running parallel to upper margin ( Fig.4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. rows of scattered granules in B. nishihirai , see Takeda and Nakasone,1991:fig.2D; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: figs. 2, 3a); palm inner surface with three ridges ( Fig.5a View Figure 5 ) (vs. scattered granules present in B. nishihirai , Fig. 6a View Figure 6 ; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 2D; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: figs. 3a); the third maxilliped merus apex is rounded ( Fig. 5c View Figure 5 ) (vs. angular in B. nishihirai , see Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 2C; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: fig. 3i); the inner and outer margin of the third maxilliped merus smooth ( Fig.5c View Figure 5 ) (vs. beaded in B. nishihirai , see Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 2C; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: fig. 3i); the lateral margins of pleonal somites 1 and 2 smooth ( Figs. 4d View Figure 4 , 5d View Figure 5 ) (vs. beaded in B. nishihirai , Fig. 6b View Figure 6 ; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig.2E)and the G1 is twisted 2 times( Fig.5e View Figure 5 ) (vs. not twisted in B. nishihirai , see Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: figs. 2F, 2G; Rahayu and Ng, 2003: figs.3d,3e).

Bellayra persicum View in CoL gen. nov., sp. nov. can be distinguished from B. taekoae View in CoL gen. nov., comb. nov. (type locality: Sumiyo, Amami-Oshima Island of Ryukyu Island, Japan) in the following characters: carapace less tuberculated ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. highly tuberculated in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1A; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1D); carapace median line without large tubercles ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. median line with large tubercles in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1A; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1D); intestinal region without tubercles ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. intestinal region covered with numerous tubercles in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1A; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1D); single row of tubercles present on branchial region ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 ) (vs. no row of tubercles present in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1A; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1D);the third maxilliped merus apex rounded ( Fig. 5c View Figure 5 ) (vs. angular in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1B; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1F); third maxilliped exopod has the outer border strongly convex ( Fig. 5d View Figure 5 ) (vs. gently convex in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda, 1972: fig. 1B; Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1F); male pleon has sutures between somites 5 and 6 visible ( Figs. 4d View Figure 4 , 5d View Figure 5 ) (vs. sutures absent in B. taekoae View in CoL , see Takeda and Nakasone, 1991: fig. 1E); and the G1 is twisted 2 times ( Fig. 5e View Figure 5 ) (vs. not twisted in B. taekoae, Sakai, 1976 View in CoL : text fig. 63c).