Lauridromia intermedia ( Laurie, 1906 )

Mclay, Colin L. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2005, On a collection of Dromiidae and Dynomenidae from the Philippines, with description of a new species of Hirsutodynomene McLay, 1999 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1029 (1), pp. 1-30 : 14

Lauridromia intermedia ( Laurie, 1906)

Dromia intermedia Laurie, 1906: 351 .— Ihle 1913: 23, pl. 1, figs. 1–3.— Campbell 1971: 29.— Sakai 1976: 8, pl. 1: fig. 3.

Lauridromia intermedia .— McLay 1993: 146, fig. 15d; 1998: 345.— Ng et al. 2000: 162, fig. 2d.— Ng et al. 2001: 6.

Material. 4 males, 16.4 x 16.1 mm, 23.1 x 22.5 mm, 24.0 x 23.8 mm, 30.0 x 29.5 mm, 200–300 m, 28 Nov 2001, ZRC 2001.969 ; 1 female, 23.9 x 24.3 mm, 200–300 m, 28 Nov 2001, ZRC 2001.971 ; 4 males, 20.3 x 21.6 mm, 36.9 x 35.0 mm, 38.6 x 36.8 mm, 45.3 x 42.5 mm, 2 females, 22.4 x 22.8, 25.0 x 25.2 mm, 200–300 m, Jun 2002, ZRC 2002.633 ; 1 female, 22.3 x 21.2 mm, 200–300 m, 25–30 Jul 2003, ZRC 2003.672 ; 1 female, 34.9 x 34.3 mm, 200–300 m, Mar 2004, MNHN ; 1 male, 26.3 x 25.9 mm, 200–300 m, Apr 2004, ZRC ; 1 male, 29.2 x 28.2 mm, 200–300 m, 29 May 2004, NMCR. All locations in Balicasag Island, Panglao, Bohol, Visayas, Philippines; purchased from local shell fishermen, obtained by tangle nets .

Remarks. Two species of Lauridromia are known from the Philippines: L. intermedia and L. indica , both of which have a carapace width which is approximately equal to the length. The differences between these two species are: in L. intermedia there are three equidistant acute anterolateral teeth on the carapace margin (while in L. indica there are five variable teeth); the inner margins of the dactyli of first two pairs of legs are armed with five small spines (versus the inner margins has eight small spines); the carapace is covered with short coarse tomentum with longer setae on the anterior branchial regions and along the margins (versus the surface is covered by short velvety tomentum); the spermathecal apertures at the end of sternal sutures 7/8 are well separated (versus spermathecal apertures close together); and the fifth and sixth abdominal segments are fused (versus segments only partially fused). The live colour of L. intermedia is orangeyellowish.

Distribution. Lauridromia intermedia has been reported from the Mindoro Strait, Philippines by McLay (1993); it also occurs in the Indian Ocean, Japan, Timor, Queensland ( Australia) and New Caledonia.