Axius Leach, 1815

Ngoc-Ho, Nguyen, 2003, European and Mediterranean Thalassinidea (Crustacea, Decapoda), Zoosystema 25 (3), pp. 439-555 : 447

Genus Axius Leach, 1815

TYPE SPECIES. — Axius stirhynchus Leach, 1815 by monotypy.

DIAGNOSIS. — Rostrum triangular, margin armed, extending to gastric region. Anterolateral margin of carapace unarmed. Gastric region slightly convex; one short median and two short submedian carinae present; cervical groove well defined to whole length. Abdominal pleura ventrally rounded, that of somite 2 broadest, that of somites 3-5 with lateral tufts of setae.Telson longer than wide with dorsal spines; posterior border convex with median spine.

Eyestalk subglobose, cornea pigmented; antennal acicle large. Mx2 scaphognathite with long setae on posterior lobe. Mxp3 endopod pediform, with prominent toothed crest on ischium, P1 unequal; P2 chelate; P5 subchelate.

Exopod on Mxp1-3; single epipod on Mxp1-3 and P1-4; single podobranch on Mxp2, Mxp3 and P1-3; single rudimentary arthrobranch on Mxp2, paired arthrobranch on Mxp3 and P1-4; single pleurobranch on P1-5 (small on P5, sometimes a rudiment).

Male Plp1 uniramous, unsegmented, female Plp1 uniramous, two-segmented; male Plp2 biramous with appendix interna and appendix masculina, female Plp2 biramous with appendix interna. Uropodal exopod with inconspicuous transverse suture near posterior border.