Ashtoret miersii
Scientific Name:-
Ashtoret miersiiCommon Name:-
Moon Crab
Malayalam Name:-
Pushpa Chandra Njandu
Category:-
Crabs
Status:-
Not evaluated
Description:-
Carapace smooth, minutely granular around six mid-dorsal tubercles and lateral spines. Carapace sub-circular with posterior half ‘V’- shaped. The antero-lateral margins of carapace crenulate with five small tubercles followed by three large triangular tooth-shaped tubercles. Front with straight lobes laterally and a distinctly emarginated rostrum medially. Presence of smooth tubercles on the surface of carapace in the gastric region. Cheliped with a five-lobed mid-palmar ridge, second tubercle most prominent and acuminate. The Pereiopods are laterally compressed and modified into swimming paddles. Presence of only a large spine on the outer surface of the hand of chelipeds. The inner surface of chelipeds almost smooth. Presence of a large spine at the junction of the antero-lateral and postero-lateral borders of the carapace. The margin of the posterior half of the carapace carinated. The outer margins of the last pair of pereiopods hairy whereas the remaining pereiopods are glabrous. Female abdomen broader than that of the male. The carapace is greenish yellow in colour with vermicular reddish brown colour usually forming spots or rings on the carapace in the anterior half whereas narrowly longitudinal posteriorly. In live condition the specimen is greenish yellow on the carapace with vermiculated reddish brown lines on the carapace, usually forming spots or rings on the anterior region of the carapace whereas longitudinal loops posteriorly. The appendages are yellowish in colour. The dactylus of the third maxilliped triangular shaped and exopod is smaller than the endopod. The propodus and dactylus of the second maxillipeds hairy. The endopod of first maxilliped hairy on upper margin. Scaphognathite of second maxillae longitudinally ovate. First maxillae also hairy on the upper margin. Mandible much broader at the cutting end. Antennule much larger than antennae.
Remark:-
Henderson (1887), Alcock (1896) and Galil and Clark (1995) reported it from India. Sushilkumar (2013) reported this species for the first time from Kerala coast.
Habitat:-
Muddy, Sandy and Coastal
Synonyms:-
Matuta miersii Henderson, 1887; Ashtoret Galil & Clark, 1994; Matuta miersii Henderson, 1887; Henderson, 1893; Alcock, 1896; Matuta miersi Laurie, 1906; Ihle, 1918; Sakai, 1976a; Miyake, 1983; Ashtoret miersii Galil & Clark, 1995.
References:-
Galil, B.S. and P.F. Clark (1995). A revision of the genus Matuta Weber, 1795 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Calappidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden, 294: 1-55.
Henderson, J.R. (1887). Notes on the Madras species of Matuta. In: Captain R.H.C. Tufnell (ed.), Session 1886-87. Madras Journal of Literature and Science, 29: 63-68.
Sushilkumar, M. (2013). Diversity and proximate composition of brachyuran crabs in the trawl by-catch of Kerala coast. PhD Thesis submitted to University of Kerala, India.