Karstarma waigeo, Wowor, Daisy & Ng, Peter K. L., 2009

Wowor, Daisy & Ng, Peter K. L., 2009, Two new species of sesarmid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) associated with limestone formations in West Papua, Indonesia, Zootaxa 2025, pp. 21-31 : 23-28

Karstarma waigeo n. sp.

( Figs. 2 –5, 6 E, 7 C, D)

Material examined. Holotype – male (21.9 x 18.9 mm) ( MZB Cru 2158), Gua Kalepale, Kp. Lopintol, Waigeo , Teluk Manyailibit District, Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province, coll. C. Rahmadi & S. Wiantoro, 31 May 2007. Paratypes – 1 male (15.4 x 12.8 mm), 5 females (11.1–23.4 x 9.1–19.6 mm), 1 ovigerous female (21.0 x 17.2 mm) ( MZB Cru 2159), 1 male (20.4 by 17.0 mm), 1 female (22.2 by 17.6 mm) ( ZRC), same data as holotype; 1 male (17.5 x 14.4 mm), 1 female (13.8 x 11.0 mm) ( MZB Cru 2160), Gua Aleg Afni, Kp. Lopintol, Waigeo , Teluk Manyailibit District, Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province, coll. C. Rahmadi, 31 May 2007.

Type locality. Waigeo , West Papua Province, Indonesia.

Comparative material. Karstarma balicum : Holotype male (17.8 x 15.4 mm) ( ZRC), Gua Giri Putri Cave, 50 m asl, Dusun Karangsari, Desa Suana, Nusa Penida, southeast of Bali, Indonesia, coll. A. J. Whitten, 21 March 1994.

Diagnosis. Carapace approximately trapezoidal in shape; anterior regions well defined, with widely but evenly spaced short setae; lateral regions covered with oblique striae; epigastric region pronounced, divided by prominent groove; frontal margin with concave median emargination; external orbital tooth with tip almost reaching level of frontal margin; outer margin almost straight, separated from first anterolateral tooth by small V-shaped cleft; first anterolateral tooth preceded by small V-shaped cleft; second anterolateral tooth marked by fissure. Chela relatively stout, fingers subequal to length of palm; ventral margin of pollex almost straight. Ambulatory legs relatively long, length to width ratios of meri of second, third legs 3.5, 4.0, respectively; dorsal, ventral margins of merus with weak serrations, dorsal sub-distal edge angular but not spiniform; brushlike setae present on ventral margins of propodus, dactylus of first ambulatory leg, setae sparse on propodus, dactylus of second ambulatory leg, setae absent on third, fourth ambulatory legs; prominent tufts of short setae present between coxae of first to third ambulatory legs. Male abdomen relatively broad, lateral margins of male telson gently diverging backwards. G 1 relatively short, stout, with submedian hump along inner margin; distal part sharply bent outwards at approximately right angles, gradually downwards, chitinous distal-most part elongate, straight. Vulva with operculum; gonopore surrounded by broad posterior ovate projection and a small anterior projection, projections tightly appressed against narrow operculum.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Waigeo . The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Colour. Brown carapace with propodi and dactyli of the ambulatory legs purplish gray ( Fig. 7 C, D).

Remarks. Karstarma waigeo n. sp. closely resembles K. balicum (Ng, 2002) and K. loyalty (Ng, 2002) in having an approximately trapezoidal carapace; the external orbital tooth is not truncate and separated from the first anterolateral tooth by a small V-shaped cleft; and an elongated G 1 with a slender chitinous distal part. However, K. waigeo n. sp. can be differentiated from K. balicum by several characters: the ambulatory leg have longer proportions than in K. balicum ( Figs. 2 A, 4 A) (length to width ratios of meri of second and third ambulatory legs 3.5 and 4.0 respectively; 3.3 and 3.6 respectively in K. balicum ); the dactylus of the second and the third ambulatory legs are shorter than the propodus ( Figs. 2 A, 4 A) (dactylus is as long as propodus in K. balicum ); the G 1 is proportionately stout ( Fig. 5 A–C) (more slender in K. balicum ); the inner margin of the G 1 has a weak submedian hump ( Fig. 5 A, B) (almost straight in K. balicum ); and the distal part of the G 1 has a distinct hump ( Fig. 5 A–C) (slightly concave or almost straight in K. balicum ).

Karstarma waigeo n. sp. is close to K. loyalty in the morphology of their respective G 1, but can easily be separated in having a proportionately longer and more slender G 1 structure (shorter and stouter in K. loyalty ) and the presence of a distinct hump at the distal part (almost straight in K. loyalty ) ( Fig. 5 A, B). The ambulatory legs are also proportionately longer than in K. loyalty ( Figs. 2 A, 4 A) (length to width ratios of meri of second and third ambulatory legs 3.5 and 4.0 respectively, vs. 3.1 and 3.5 respectively in K. loyalty ), and the dactyli of the second and the third ambulatory legs are relatively shorter than the propodi in K. loyalty ( Figs. 2 A, 4 A) (dactyli as long as propodi in K. loyalty ).

Distribution. So far only known from the type locality.