Sphaeropeltarion, Tavares & Cleva & Contents, 2010

Tavares, Marcos & Cleva, Régis, 2010, Trichopeltariidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura), A New Family And Superfamily Of Eubrachyuran Crabs With Description Of One New Genus And Five New Species, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 50 (9), pp. 97-157 : 150

Sphaeropeltarion gen. nov.

Type species: Sphaeropeltarion edentatum . sp. nov.. by. present.designation.and.monotypy..Gender.neuter.

Diagnosis:.Carapace.subcircular,. slightly.oblong.longitudinally,. strongly. arched. transversally;. its. dorsal. surface.with.sparse,.fine.granules,.entirely.coated.with. short. velvet;. branchio-cardiac. groove. poorly. delimited;.gastric.pits.shallow,.close.to.each.other..Hepatic,. first.and.second.epibranchial.teeth.reduced.to.minute,. smooth,.rounded.tubercles,.similar.to.each.other..Posterolateral.border.of.carapace.poorly.delimited,.ornamented.with.few.granules..Front.cut.into.three,.flat. teeth;. central.and.lateral.rostral.teeth. of.about. same. size.. Orbit . delimited. superiorly. by. two. supraorbital. teeth;.laterally.by.exorbital.tooth,.inferiorly.by.infraorbital.tooth.and.antennal.article.2+3..Exorbital.and. infraorbital.teeth.separated.by.deep,.wide.gap;.infraorbital. tooth. and. antennal. article. 2+3. separated. by. deep,.wide.gap..Orbital.cavity.deeply.excavated..Ocular.peduncle.freely.movable,.fully.retractable.into.the. orbital.cavity,.noticeably.long.and.slender.(globulous. proximally),.strongly.calcified..Cornea.small,.unpigmented;. ommatidiae. hardly. recognizable.. Antennal. article. 1. slightly. beaked. laterally;. articles. 2-3. fused. to. one. another. with. no. trace. of. suture. in. between.. Antennal. article. 2+3. hardly. movable,. in. close. contact.but.not.fused.to.basal.part.of.infraorbital.tooth;. a.gap.between.antennal.article.2+3.and.lateral.rostral. tooth.. Antennal. articles. 2+3-5. cylindrical,. of. about.

same.length;.antennal.flagellum.short..Antennal.setae. dispersed.all.around.antennal.segments.and.flagellae. (not.fringed);.setae.of.opposing.sides.forming.incipient.antennal.conduit..Mandibular.palp.2-articulated,. articles.1-2.completely.fused.together,.immovable.in. relation.to.each.other;.no.line.of.suture.between.segments. 1-2..Limit. between. endostome.and.epistome. poorly. recognizable.. Pl8. gutter. edge. well. developed. (branchial. formula. unknown).. Female. abdomen. of. six.somites.and.telson.(male.abdomen.unknown)..Female.abdominal.locking.system.functional.

Etymology:.The.name. Sphaeropeltarion .is.a.combination.of. the. Greek. words. sphair. (Latinized. to. sphaer, sphaero,. for sphere). and. peltari. (diminutive. of. pelte,. for.shield.or.buckler),.in.allusion.to.the.globular.body.

Remarks: Sphaeropeltarion . gen. nov.. can. be. distinguished. from. other. trichopeltariids. by. an. unique. combination.of.characters.which.include:.(i) central. and.lateral.rostral.teeth.flat,. similar.in. size;. (ii) subcircular,. slightly. oblong. longitudinally,. and. strongly. arched. transversally. carapace;. (iii) carapace. entirely. coated. with. short.velvet;.(iv) hepatic,. first,.and.second. epibranchial. teeth. reduced. to. minute,. smooth,. rounded.tubercles,.similar.to.each.other;.(v) carapace. posterolateral. border. poorly. delimited;. (vi) deeply. excavated.orbit;.(vii) ocular.peduncle.freely.movable. and.fully.retractable;.(viii) noticeable.gap.between.antennal.article.2+3.and.lateral.rostral.tooth;.(ix) antennal.articles.2+3,. 4,.and.5.of.about.the.same.length;. (x) antennal. flagellae. comparatively. short,. articles. small,.little.calcified,.setae.dispersed.all.around.antennal. flagellae;. (xi) mandibular. palp. 2-articulated,. articles.1-2.completely.fused.to.each.other.with.no.line. of.suture.in.between;.(xii) Pl.8.pleural.gutter.edge.well. developed.