Neocallichirus natalensis ( Barnard, 1947 )

Poore, Gary C. B., 2023, New records and one new species of Callichiridae (Crustacea, Axiidea) from the Indo-West Pacific, with keys to species of Corallianassa, Lepidophthalmus and Neocallichirus, Memoirs of Museum Victoria (Mem. Mus. Vic.) 82, pp. 71-95 : 90

Neocallichirus natalensis ( Barnard, 1947)

Callianassa natalensis Barnard, 1947: 379 .— Barnard, 1950: 511, fig. 95f–h.— Kensley, 1974: 277.— Sakai, 1999: 100, fig. 23c (cheliped of holotype of C. natalensis ).

Neocallichirus natalensis .— Dworschak, 2011b: 9–10 , figs 5, 6I.

Diagnosis. Antenna peduncle exceeding antennule peduncle by half of article 5. Cornea prominent, hemispherical (sometimes with extracorneal pigment); eyestalk distal lobes tapered, often truncate, with denticulate distal margin. Major cheliped merus lower margin with deep rectangular denticulate blade over proximal three-quarters, margin straight or gently convex; gape with molar-like tooth in male; fixed finger cutting edge smooth; dactylus cutting edge with molar-like tooth near midpoint, deep notch, concave blade over distal half. Pereopod 3 propodus with proximally directed lobe of lower margin protruding slightly beyond lower margin of carpus. Uropodal endopod posterior margin almost transverse, angle with anterior margin squarish. Telson clearly tapering from subproximal width to rounded corner between well-defined posterolateral margin and convex-straight posterior margin. Maximum cl. 24.4 mm.

Distribution. Western Indian Ocean ( South Africa [type locality: Natal]; Kenya).

Remarks. Sakai (1999) synonymised the species with N. indicus , but Dworschak (2011b) resurrected and reillustrated it.