Ebalia, Leach, 1817

Garassino, Alessandro, Pasini, Giovanni, Angeli, Antonio De & Hyžný, MatÚš, 2014, The decapod fauna (Axiidea, Anomura, Brachyura) from the Late Pleistocene of Trumbacà, Reggio Calabria (Calabria, southern Italy), Natural History Sciences 1 (2), pp. 119-130 : 122-124

Ebalia cf. E. deshayesi Lucas, 1846

Fig. 2A

Material and measurements: One complete carapace (MSNM i27902 – lcpx: 4 mm; wcpx: 7 mm).

Description: Octagonal carapace, slightly wider than long, convex dorsally and with small tubercles on gastric and branchial regions; wide developed bugle on the cardiac region; lateral and posterolateral margins slightly concave.

THE DECAPOD FAUNA ( AXIIDEA , ANOMURA , BRACHYURA ) FROM THE LATE PLEISTOCENE OF TRUMBACÀ, REGGIO CALABRIA (CALABRIA, SOUTHERN ITALY) 123

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Discussion. As pointed out by De Angeli et al. (2009: 178), “the high degree of sexual dimorphism among adults, the remarkable morphological differences between adults and juvenile stages, and the extremely variable morphology of carapace in the same species, makes the right classification of the species ascribed to this genus difficult”. The studied specimen, however, shows morphological affinities with extant Ebalia deshayesi Lucas, 1846 , in having an octagonal carapace, slightly wider than long, with small tubercles on gastric and branchial regions, wide developed bugle on the cardiac region, and having lateral and posterolateral margins slightly concave. Based upon these main characters, the studied specimen is tentatively assigned to Ebalia cf. E. deshayesi Lucas, 1846 .

This fossil species was previously reported by De Angeli et al. (2009), from the Early Pliocene of Poggio alla Staffa, Siena (Tuscany, central Italy). Therefore, it represents the first record from the Pleistocene of southern Italy and from the Mediterranean basin. Extant E. deshayesi is widespread in Eastern Atlantic (Balearic Islands) and Mediterranean Sea, living in sandy and muddy bottoms ( Zariquiey Álvarez, 1968).

Figures

Fig. 2 - A) Ebalia cf. E. deshayesi Lucas, 1846, MSNM i27902, carapace in dorsal view (x 12). B) Ilia nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758), MSNM i27903, carapace in dorsal view (x 6). C) Medorippe lanata (Linnaeus, 1767), MSNM i27884, carapace in dorsal and ventral views (x 2). D) Calappa granulata (Linnaeus, 1758), MSNM i27906, incomplete carapace in dorsal view (x 4.6). E) Calappa granulata (Linnaeus, 1758), MSNM i27893, right chela, outer view (x 2.5).