Rochinia A. Milne-Edwards, 1875

Lee, Bee Yan, Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2017, Deep-sea spider crabs of the families Epialtidae MacLeay, 1838 and Inachidae MacLeay, 1838, from the South China Sea, with descriptions of two new species (Decapoda, Brachyura, Majoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 358, pp. 1-37 : 14

Genus Rochinia A. Milne-Edwards, 1875

Remarks

There are currently 39 recognised species in this genus ( Ng et al. 2008; Richer de Forges & Ng 2013; Takeda & Marumura 2014; Tavares et al. 2016), with the species distributed across the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans ( Griffin & Tranter 1986a; Ng & Richer de Forges 2007). The type species of Rochinia is R. gracilipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1975 , by monotypy. Garth (1958) mentioned that the group formed by Rochinia and Scyramathia is not monophyletic due to the form of the male first gonopod. Thus far, despite new species being described from this genus (see Ng & Richer de Forges 2007, 2013; Richer de Forges & Poore 2008; Richer de Forges & Ng 2013), the genus has not been revised as a whole. Some genera, which were once synonymised under Rochinia , such as Sphenocarcinus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875 and Oxypleurodon Miers, 1885 , have been resurrected and redefined ( Tavares 1991; Richer de Forges & Ng 2009b). New genera have also been established: Goniopugettia Sakai, 1986 , Laubierinia Richer de Forges & Ng, 2009 , Guinotinia Richer de Forges & Ng, 2009 , Garthinia Richer de Forges & Ng, 2009 and Samadinia Ng & Richer de Forges, 2013 , all of which are related to Rochinia . It has been discussed by various authors (see Ng & Richer de Forges 2007, 2013; Richer de Forges & Poore 2008) that Rochinia is not homogeneous. However, splitting the genus into distinct groups is not a simple task. Ng & Richer de Forges (2013) recognised a new genus, Samadinia Ng & Richer de Forges, 2013 and also listed four possible groups within Rochinia . The diagnosis of the genus as provided by previous authors, such as Griffin & Tranter (1986a, b) is no longer useful given the significant changes in species composition since 1986. The authors of the present paper are currently revising this genus. With the new combination for one species, Rochinia kagoshimensis ( Rathbun, 1932) comb. nov., a total of 40 species are now recognised in this genus.