Megalobrachium roseum (Rathbun, 1900)

Ferreira, Luciane Augusto De Azevedo & Melo, Gustavo Augusto Schmidt De, 2016, Porcelain crabs from Brazil (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Porcellanidae), Zootaxa 4092 (2), pp. 175-194 : 177

Megalobrachium roseum (Rathbun, 1900)

( Fig. 1 B)

Porcellana rosea Rathbun, 1900: 148 , plate 8, figure 3 (type-locality: Mamanguape, Paraíba, Brazil). Porcellanopsis rosea —Haig, 1956: 34.

Megalobrachium roseum— Haig, 1960: 225, 227.

Material examined. Brazil: Rio Grande do Norte—Cabo de Bacopari, 1 female (MZUSP-7264). Paraíba— Tambaú, Recife Quebra-Quilha, 1 male (MZUSP-5468). Alagoas—Maceió, Recife da Ponta Verde, 1 ovigerous female (MZUSP-13068); Paripueira, 1 male (LabMar-313). Bahia—Ilha de Itaparica, Coroa de Pedra, 1 male (MNRJ-8863). Espírito Santo—Camburi, 1 male (MZUSP-18731). Rio de Janeiro—Ilha Marambaia, Praia do Pontilhão, Arraial do Cabo, 1 female (MZUSP-19564). São Paulo—São Sebastião, 2 males, 1 female (MNRJ- 4037); Ponta do Baleeiro, 2 ovigerous females (MZUSP-21078).

Recognition characters. Carapace subtriangular, as long as broad in males, slightly broader than long in females; granulate, lateral margins with crenulate crest extending posteriorly from epibranchial to metabranchial margin. Pterygostomial flap of carapace with proximal serrate tubercle on upper margin, granular longitudinal crest on proximal margin. Front with granulate margin. Chelipeds slightly subequal, granulate; merus with subtriangular distal lobe on flexor margin; carpus with proximal subtriangular lobe on flexor margin; palm with 3 longitudinal carinae. Walking legs robust, rugose and pubescent, merus and carpus with tubercles on distal extensor margins; propodus with 2 spines on flexor margin at articulation of dactylus; dactylus with 3 or 4 spines on flexor margin. Gonopods present in males. Telson composed of 7 plates.

Habitat. Intertidal region down to 50 m, on coral reefs and under rocks and found living associated with bryozoans, polychaetes and sponges (Veloso & Melo 1993).

Geographic distribution. Western Atlantic—Panama, Bocas del Toro; Martinique; Colombia, Santa Marta; Venezuela, Margarita and Cubagua Islands, La Restinga Lagoon; Suriname; and Brazil (from Maranhão to São Paulo).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Preseved specimens, dorsal view. A, Megalobrachium mortenseni Haig, 1962, ovigerous female (MZUSP- 24529); B, Megalobrachium roseum (Rathbun, 1900), female (MZUSP- 19905); C, Megalobrachium soriatum (Say, 1818), male (MZUSP- 19903); D, Minyocerus angustus (Dana, 1852), ovigerous female (MZUSP- 17473); E, Pachycheles ackleianus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, male (MZUSP- 19548); F, Pachycheles chubutensis Boschi, 1963, male (MZUSP- 7194); G, Pachycheles greeleyi (Rathbun, 1900), male (MZUSP- 21232); H, Pachycheles laevidactylus Ortmann, 1892, male (MZUSP- 18723). Scales: A – E (1 mm); F – H (5 mm).