Hiplyra, Galil, 2009

Galil, Bella S., 2009, An examination of the genus Philyra Leach, 1817 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Leucosiidae) with descriptions of seven new genera and six new species, Zoosystema 31 (2), pp. 279-320 : 291-292

Genus Hiplyra n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Philyra platycheir De Haan, 1841 .

ETYMOLOGY. — Hiplyra is an anagram of Philyra Leach, 1817 . Gender feminine.

DIAGNOSIS. — Carapace suborbiculate, convex; regions of carapace indistinct, save for branchio-cardiac grooves. Dorsal surface of carapace punctate, variably granulate. Frontal region produced; frontal margin deflexed, medially bearing triangular denticle. Antennular fossa transversely oval, sealed by basal antennular segment. Antennae short, inserted between antennular fossa and orbit. Orbits small, rounded, upper orbital margin unisutured. Eyes retractable. Anterior margin of efferent branchial channel prominently incised, sinuous, continuous with beaded subhepatic margin, projecting beyond frontal margin. External maxilliped exopod as wide as endopodal ischium; endopodal ischium as long as subtriangular merus, bearing in female setose fringe lengthwise. Lateral and posterior margins of carapace beaded; Hepatic facet well defined, lower margin arcuate. Epimeral margin reaching posterior surface of carapace, closely beaded. Chelipeds subequal, elongate, longer in adult male than in female specimens. Chela elongate, laterally flattened; dactyl with inner margin entire, blade-like, inner margin of pollex thickly fringed with setae. Pereiopods slender, short. Pereiopodal meri longer than carpi and propodi; dactyli longer than propodi, lanceolate, terminating in cornute tips. Male abdominal sulcus deep. First abdominal segment of male transversely narrow, medially excavate, yoke-like. Second to sixth abdominal segments fused; proximal margin of fused segment with median lobe, lateral margin bearing three indistinct ridges fitting into sutures between sternal segments; suture between fifth and sixth segments distinct; lacking subterminal denticle; telson elongate, subtriangular. Female abdomen with first two segments transversely narrow, yoke-like; segments three to six fused, greatly enlarged, shield-like; telson laciniate. First male pleopod elongate, shaft wide, dorsoventrally flattened, tip setose; apical process minute. Second male pleopod short, slender, apex scoop-like.

REMARKS

Considered “[e]asily distinguished by the peculiar finger and thumb of cheliped” ( Barnard 1950: 383), the species possessing this character ( H. elegans n. comb., H.longimana n. comb., H. michellinae n.sp., H. platycheir n. comb., H. sagitta n. sp., H. variegata n. comb.) were often confused with each other. Although some authors discerned subtle but distinct characters that set these species apart, others lumped them together ( Tirmizi & Kazmi 1988; Davie 2002). Hiplyra n. gen. differs from Philyra Leach, 1817 (emend.), Lyphira n. gen., Ryphila n. gen., and Pyrhila n. gen., in having the inner margin of the cheliped dactyl entire, blade-like, inner margin of pollex thickly fringed with setae, and fused male abdominal segments 2-6, with lobate proximal margin.