Ryphila verrucosa ( Henderson, 1893 ) 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 : 312-313

Ryphila verrucosa ( Henderson, 1893) n. comb. ( Figs 21B ; 23A, B )

Philyra verrucosa Henderson, 1893: 399 , pl. 37, figs 10-12. — Alcock 1896: 240. — Serène 1968: 46. — Tirmizi & Ghani 1992: 69, fig. 1.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: India. Madras, coll. J. R. Henderson , 1 ♂ cl 8.9 mm (NHM 1892.7.15.399).

DESCRIPTION

Dorsal surface of carapace, excluding frontal region, bearing closely-spaced perliform granules, granules larger medially; postgastric region bearing prominent oval granule; branchio-cardiac grooves deep. Lateral frontal lobes rounded, horizontally furrowed, minutely granulate. Anterior margin of epistome produced. Dorsal margin of subhepatic facet consisting of line of rounded granules extending posteriorly from granulate outer orbital angle; ventral margin consisting of conic granules. Subhepatic facet granulate. Lateral granules on margin of carapace smaller than granules on anterolateral and posterolateral margins. Epimeral surface minutely granulate, epimeral margin minutely beaded, granules increasing in size on posterior margin. External maxillipeds granulate; exognath greatly distended. Pterygostomian region prominently granulate. Entire surface of thoracic sternites in male covered with perliform granules. Fused male abdominal segments 3-6 bearing granulate band basally. Cheliped merus 0.8 as long as carapace in male; its dorsal surface with several rows of perliform granules, coalescing distally; anterior and posterior surfaces with closely disposed rows of perliform granules. Carpus with row of minute granules on inner margin; patch of minute granules distally on upper margin.Upper margin of propodus with two parallel rows of granules; lower margin minutely granulate, bearing row of slightly larger granules on inner margin. Pereiopodal meri bear single minutely granulate line ventrally. Male first pleopod with apical process filiform, sinuous, nearly as long as shaft.

Colour

“Brownish” ( Henderson 1893: 400); “dorsum blue-black, with a coppery tinge which is most marked in the chelipeds” ( Alcock 1896: 241, “in spirit”).

REMARKS

Ryphila verrucosa n. comb. is distinguished from R. cancellus n. comb. in its nearly entirely granulose dorsal surface of carapace and thoracic sternites; the conic granules on ventral margin of subhepatic facet; produced epistome; dilate, granulate exognath of external maxillipeds; pronounced, smooth branchiocardiac grooves; shorter, thicker cheliped meri bearing more numerous granules; lack of hepatic lobe; and sinuous, thicker apical process on first male pleopod.

Figures

FIG. 21. — A, Ryphila cancellus (Herbst, 1783) n. comb., ♂ cl 11.2 mm,India (MZUF 2722),first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod;B, Ryphila verrucosa (Henderson,1893) n.comb.,♂ holotype cl 8.9 mm,India (NHM 1892.7.15.399),first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 23. — Ryphila verrucosa (Henderson, 1893) n. comb.,♂ holotype cl 8.9 mm,India (NHM 1892.7.15.399):A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.