Phylogenetic evidence and morphological diagnosis for a new species of Parasesarma De Man, 1895 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia.

A new species of Parasesarma, P. rahayuae n. sp.

On two species of Aniptumnus Ng, 2002 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pilumnidae) from India, with a description of a new species from the coast of Kerala.

The taxonomy of two species of Indian pilumnid crabs is treated herein. Heteropanope neolaevis Deb, 1985, originally described from northeastern India, is retained in the genus Aniptumnus Ng, 2002 as a valid species and removed from synonymy with Aniptumnus quadridentatus (De Man, 1895). A new species, Aniptumnus bijoyi, is described from southwestern India, based on distinguishing features in the carapace, thoracic sternum, pereopods and gonopods.

A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the brachyuran crab superfamily Xanthoidea provides novel insights into its systematics and evolutionary history.

Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies for the brachyuran crab superfamily Xanthoidea were estimated based on three mitochondrial and four nuclear genes to infer phylogenetic relationships and inform taxonomy. Habitat data was then used in conjunction with several diversification rates analyses (BAMM, BiSSE, HiSSE, and FiSSE) to test evolutionary hypotheses regarding the diversification of xanthoid crabs. The phylogenies presented are the most comprehensive to date in terms of global diversity as they include all four constituent families (Xanthidae, Panopeidae, Pseudorhombilidae, and Linnaeoxanthidae) spanning all oceans in which xanthoid crabs occur.

On a collection of freshwater and estuarine crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura) from Mindanao Island, the Philippines.

The brachyuran fauna of the large southern Philippine island of Mindanao is poorly known, with only a few freshwater and estuarine crab species described or recorded in the last 30 years. Renewed interest in crab biodiversity has led to recent, small-scale surveys (2016-2019) of freshwater and estuarine habitats in various localities in Mindanao, which have yielded a good diversity of brachyuran crabs. As a result, a total of 26 species of brachyuran crab, representing 6 families (Hymenosomatidae, Oziidae, Gecarcinidae, Sesarmidae, Varunidae, and Ocypodidae), are reported here.

On the occurrence of Parasesarma cricotum (Rahayu amp; Davie, 2002 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) in Palau and Sulawesi.

The occurrence of Parasesarma cricotum (Rahayu Davie, 2002) in Palau and Sulawesi is reported after the examination of several male and female specimens collected from Sulawesi, Indonesia, and Palau. The present record from Palau, has extended the distribution of P. cricotum considerably further northeast of its natural distribution range.

On the two 'forms' of Dotilla intermedia De Man, 1888 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Dotillidae) from the Bay of Bengal, India, with description of a new species.

Two distinct morphotypes of sand bubbler crab (Dotillidae) from eastern India were assigned to Dotilla intermedia De Man, 1888, by British carcinologist, Stanley Kemp in 1919, due to similarities in the areolation of the carapace and the occurrence of these two forms in the same locality. Kemp, however, also illustrated the differences in the morphology of the male thoracic sternums, chelae, and first gonopods and, accordingly, divided D. intermedia into two subcategories which he called the "high form" and the "low form".

On a collection of brachyuran crabs from Lakshadweep, Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura).

The crab fauna (Crustacea: Brachyura) of Lakshadweep (Laccadives), a group of Indian islands in the western Indian Ocean is updated, using material from the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas collected between 2012 and 2015. Fifty-three species were recorded during this study, of which 17 species are newly recorded from the islands, and three are also new records for India. A total of 169 species of brachyuran crabs are now known from Lakshadweep.

Resolution of the species complex: taxonomic status and identity of (Fabricius, 1798) and (Stimpson, 1858) (Brachyura, Decapoda, Portunidae).

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently adopted DNA barcoding for the purpose of determining the species identity of commercial seafood products. This effort has revealed instances of incongruence between current scientifically accepted taxon names and those utilized by the seafood industry in product labelling. One such case is that of "", a name utilized by the seafood industry to label commercial products under the market name "red swimming crab.

, a new genus and species of an unusual coral rubble-inhabiting crab from Guam (Crustacea, Brachyura, Christmaplacidae).

, a new genus and species of coral rubble-dwelling pseudozioid crab is described from the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean. The unusual morphological features of its carapace, thoracic sternum, eyes, antennules, pereopods and gonopods place it in the family Christmaplacidae Naruse & Ng, 2014. A suite of characters on the cephalothorax, pleon and appendages distinguishes from the previously sole representative of the family, Naruse & Ng, 2014, described from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.

New records of coral-associated crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Carpilioidea, Trapezoidea) from Easter Island.

A review is made of those brachyurans that are symbiotic or otherwise associated with scleractinian corals on Easter Island, southeastern Pacific Ocean. A total of seven species is reported, including three species from two families not previously known from the island. Earlier records of Trapezia are analyzed and, although as many as six species have been previously reported, we conclude that only three species are known to occur on the island with certainty.

Rapid evolution of troglomorphic characters suggests selection rather than neutral mutation as a driver of eye reduction in cave crabs.

This study asked whether reductive traits in cave organisms evolve at a slower pace (suggesting neutral evolution under relaxed selection) than constructive changes, which are likely to evolve under directional selection. We investigated 11 subterranean and seven surface populations of Sundathelphusa freshwater crabs on Bohol Island, Philippines, and examined constructive traits associated with improved food finding in darkness (increased leg and setae length) and reductive traits (reduced cornea size and eyestalk length). All changes occurred rapidly, given that the age of the most recent common ancestor was estimated to be 722-271 ka based on three mitochondrial markers.

A new species of ocellated Xanthias Rathbun, 1897 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Xanthidae) from the Bohol Sea, Philippines.

A new species of xanthid crab (Brachyura: Xanthidae) is described from the Bohol Sea in the central Philippines. Xanthias joanneae sp. nov.

A new species of false spider crab of the genus Elamena H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Hymenosomatidae), from Davao Gulf, Philippines.

A new species of hymenosomatid crab of the genus Elamena H. Milne Edwards, 1837, is described from the island of Samal, in the Davao Gulf, Mindanao, southern Philippines. Elamena samalensis sp.