Ranina lamiensis Rathbun, 1945

Pasini, Giovanni & Garassino, Alessandro, 2017, A preliminary review of the fossil species of Ranina Lamarck, 1801 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Raninidae), with systematic remarks, Natural History Sciences 4 (1), pp. 43-72 : 61

Ranina lamiensis Rathbun, 1945

Fig. 14

Ranina lamiensis Rathbun, 1945: 374 , Pls. 55A, 56A, B.

Montezumella lamiensis Rathbun, 1934: 239 , Pl. 44, fig. 9.

Ranina lamiensis - De Angeli et al. 2009: 120. – Schweitzer et al. 2010: 74. – De Angeli & Beschin 2011: 13. – Van Bakel et al. 2012: 209. – Karasawa et al. 2014: 260.

Type material: holotype, USNM 498402 , today lost (K. Hollis pers. comm., 2015) .

Type locality: Vitilevu Island ( Fiji) .

Geological age: Suva Formation, Neogene.

Examined material: Rathbun’s plates (Pls. 55A, 56A, B).

Description by Rathbun (1945): “ Carapace broadoval, nearly as broad as long, convex from side to side, less so longitudinally; width at anterior teeth less than that of middle of carapace; outer tooth long and stout and strongly curved outward; more than half way to middle a blunt-pointed triangular tooth directed forward; on the left side and farther from the middle, two adjoining teeth, tips broken off, the outer one small and spiniform, and the inner one broad, its inner margin convex; an exposed inner layer is covered with separated granules varying in size and distance; a superimposed layer shows at the rear end numerous small longitudinal granules facing forward; near the anterior lefthand corner there is a small piece of the outer layer decorated with very fine granules arranged in irregular groups. ”

Discussion. Based upon Rathbun’s description and figures, the specimen lacks anterolateral margins, front, and anterolateral spines, making impossible any certain specific assignment. In conclusion, the inability to recognize the diagnostic characters of Ranina questions the placement of lamiensis within this genus.

Figures

Fig. 14 - Ranina lamiensis Rathbun, 1945, holotype, USNM 498402, (Pl. 55, fig.A).