Brachyura, Linnaeus, 1758

Starzyk, Natalia, 2015, Reappraisal of the primitive crab Eodromites, with description of three new species from European localities (Decapoda: Brachyura: Goniodromitidae), Palaeontologia Electronica 35 (7), pp. 1-19 : 5-6

Infraorder BRACHYURA Linnaeus, 1758 Section DROMIACEA de Haan, 1833

Superfamily HOMOLODROMIOIDEA Alcock, 1900

Family GONIODROMITIDAE Beurlen, 1932 (=

PITHONOTINAE Glaessner, 1933)

Genus EODROMITES Patrulius, 1959

1835 Prosopon von Meyer (pars).

1865 Ogydromites Milne Edwards.

Diagnosis. (after Schweitzer and Feldmann, 2008, amended) Carapace longer to almost as long as wide (width is 0.74-0.91 of the length), widest across the epibranchial region. Rostrum is variously shaped, with incision in the middle, usually narrowing posteriorly. Augenrest is deep, from longer than wide to wider than long (length 0.8-1.75 of width); suborbital margin extending beyond upper orbital margin. Outer orbital spine is present. Projection of orbital margin intercepts longitudinal axis at angle 50- 70˚. Two symmetric groups of hepatic pits are present on hepatic regions.

Type species. Prosopon grande von Meyer, 1857 , by original designation.

Other species included. E. aequilatus ( von Meyer, 1857) as Prosopon ; E. depressus ( von Meyer, 1860) as Prosopon ; E. dobrogea ( Feldmann, Lazǎr and Schweitzer, 2006) as Cycloprosopon ; E. guenteri n. sp.; E. hyznyi n. sp.; E. nitidus ( Milne Edwards, 1865) as Ogydromites ; E. polyphemi ( Gemmellaro, 1869) as Prosopon ; E. rostratus ( von Meyer, 1840) as Prosopon ; E. rotundus n. sp.

Remarks. According to Schweitzer and Feldmann (2008), Eodromites differs from other representatives of the Goniodromidae in having the carapace widest posterior to interception of cervical groove and lateral margin; lateral margins narrowing posteriorly; broad, rounded rostrum and long augenrest. New species described herein add to the characteristics of the genus. Two species ( E. aequilatus and E. hyznyi n. sp.) differ from others in having a narrow rostrum, with the axial groove reaching its anterior border and lateral margins of the carapace parallel or only slightly narrowing posteriorly (Figure 2). Despite these differences they are considered as members of Eodromites as they share with the congeners other characteristic features. These are hepatic pits formed in groups, weakly developed hepatic tubercles and three pairs of symmetric pits localized on the upper orbital margin (I) and on the epibranchial region: II pair next to cervical groove and III pair next to branchio-cardiac groove (Figure 2.1-2). Augenrest is variable in Eodromites but there is continuity in this character change from shorter than wide (length 0.8 of width), with an elevated posterior angle ( E. aequilatus ) to much longer than wide (length 1.75 of width) with the posterior angle symmetric along horizontal axis of the augenrest ( E. grandis ) (Figure 2.3).

Key to Species of Eodromites :

Species: E. depressus , E. nitidus , E. polyphemi and E. rostratus are included only tentatively, based only on original drawings, as the material had been lost (see Table 3).