Sesarmops mora Li, Shih & Ng, 2020

Lagare, Nickel Jean S., Mapi-Ot, Emmarie F., Molina, Ziljih S., Neri, Jemateo B., Nuñeza, Olga M. & Mendoza, Jose Christopher E., 2020, On a collection of freshwater and estuarine crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura) from Mindanao Island, the Philippines, Zootaxa 4868 (3), pp. 301-330 : 313

Sesarmops mora Li, Shih & Ng, 2020

Figs. 4D , 8G, H

Sesarmops mora Li et al. 2020: 23 .

Material examined. 13 males, 11.8 by 10.7 mm—25.8 by 23.9 mm, 6 females, 15.4 by 13.5 mm—28.3 by 26.3 mm ( ZRC; NJL160713–31 ) Brgy. Poblacion, Maigo town , Lanao del Norte prov., coll. N.J. Lagare, 22 Sep. 2016 ; 1 male, 8.2 by 7.6 mm, 6 females, 11.7 by 10.4 mm—15.7 by 14.4 mm, ( ZRC; NJL161108–14 ) Brgy. Pandan, Mambajao town , Camiguin I. prov., coll. N. J. Lagare, 28 & 29 Sep. 2016 .

Remarks. Several specimens were collected from two localities in Mindanao (Maigo & Mambajao). They were syntopic with Sesarmops imperator and resembled it in the general carapace shape and leg proportions, although they were generally smaller and without the distinct colouration (i.e. lighter brown carapace with distinctive lightcoloured diagonal stripes on either side of the intestinal region and chelipeds more brownish), and with the lateral carapace margins being more divergent posteriorly and the exorbital teeth more obtuse and laterally directed ( Fig. 4D ). The G1 is also distinct, having a generally shorter and more slender shaft, but a proportionately much longer corneous tip ( Fig. 8G, H ).

Li et al. (2020) recently described a new species of Sesarmops , S. mora , from Taiwan and the central Philippines (Cebu I. & Guimaras I.), which they showed to form a clade distinct from western Indian Ocean and western Pacific populations of S. impressus and possessing distinctive characters in the morphology of the carapace and G1. The material from Mindanao agrees well with the description and illustrations of Li et al. (2020: figs. 11C, D, 19–21), and so we have no hesitation in assigning them to S. mora .

New Mindanao record.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Colour photos of recently preserved crabs (dorsal habitus). A, Parasesarma sanguimanus Li, Shih & Ng, 2019, male, 20.2 by 16.8 mm (ZRC), Kiamba, Saranggani; B, Parasesarma ungulatum (H. Milne Edwards, 1853), male, 18.6 by 16 0 mm (ZRC), Kiamba, Saranggani; C, Sesarmops imperator Ng, Li & Shih, 2020, male, 35.6 by 33.7 mm (ZRC), Mambajao, Camiguin Island; D, Sesarmops mora Li, Shih & Ng, 2020, male, 25.8 by 23.9 mm (ZRC), Maigo, Lanao del Norte; E, Tiomanium indicum (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), male, 42.5 by 36.7 mm (ZRC), Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte; F, Pseudograpsus crassus A. Milne-Edwards, 1868, male, 34.5 by 30.0 mm (ZRC), Iligan, Lanao del Norte. Scale bars: 10 mm.

FIGURE 8. A–D, Parasesarma ungulatum (H. Milne Edwards, 1853), male, 18.6 by 16 0 mm (ZRC), Kiamba, Saranggani; E, F, Sesarmops imperator Ng, Li & Shih, 2020, male, 35.6 by 33.7 mm (ZRC), Mambajao, Camiguin Island; G, H, Sesarmops mora Li, Shih & Ng, 2020, male, 25.8 by 23.9 mm (ZRC), Maigo, Lanao del Norte. A, left chela, external view; B, left chela, dorsal view; C, E, G, right G1, pleonal view; D, F, H, right G1, sternal view. Scales: A, B = 2.0 mm; C–H = 1.0 mm.