Sakaija africana ( Griffin & Tranter, 1986 )

Ng, Peter K. L. & Forges, Bertrand Richer De, 2015, Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 110-225 : 170-171

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5384590
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:40BCDD62-D35E-46D1-95A3-2CC0DF219DEE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5466819
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A9654B-FFBD-0765-541F-FB7E7B45FBF6
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Sakaija africana ( Griffin & Tranter, 1986 )
status

Treatment

Sakaija africana ( Griffin & Tranter, 1986) View in CoL

( Figs. 2F View Fig , 29 View Fig , 33N View Fig –R, 37L View Fig , 40K View Fig , 46I View Fig , 51C View Fig , 54M View Fig , 70C View Fig )

Maja africana Griffin & Tranter, 1986: 211 View in CoL , 71a–e, 73c, d, Pl. 14. – Ng et al., 2008: 117 (list).

Material examined. Madagascar – 1 male (28.7 × 22.3 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-57) (specimen barcoded), station 27, between Nosy Bé and Cap Du Leven, MIRIKY, 12°31’S 48°22’E, 298–301 m, coll. MIRIKY, June 2009 GoogleMaps . — 1 male (32.2 × 25.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-928), station DW 3228, 260– 319 m, 12°55’S 48°11’E, 2 July 2009. — 1 male (26.3 × 19.9 mm), 2 ovigerous females (25.7 × 20.2 mm, 23.8 × 18.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-505), station DW 3211, 12°32’ 47°52’E, 244–300 m, coll. MIRIKY, 30 June 2009. — 1 male (27.3 × 21.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-932), no other data, coll. MIRIKY, 25 June–14 July 2009. — 1 male (27.3 × 21.2 mm), 1 ovigerous female (25.7 × 19.9 mm) ( ZRC 2013.1408 View Materials , ex MNHN-IU-2010-504), station CP 3188, 12°31’S 48°22’E, 298–301 m, coll. MIRIKY, 27 June 2009 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Carapace branchial area gently inflated, ovate; with relatively short lateral and branchial spines ( Fig. 29 View Fig ). Pseudorostral spines very long, diverging ( Fig. 37L View Fig ). Supraocular eave narrow, strongly curved; antorbital tooth strong, triangular pointed outwards; intercalated spine basally subtruncate, separated from other spines by narrow gaps; postorbital spine large, pointed anteriorly; hepatic spine low, tuberculiform ( Figs. 29 View Fig , 37L View Fig ). Lateral margin with 2 short spines, subequal or anterior one slightly smaller; 1 large branchial spine; median row with 3 low spines: 1 gastric, 1 cardiac, 1 long, posteriorly directed intestinal; posterior carapace margin with 2 long spines ( Fig. 29 View Fig ). Basal antennal article with 2 large distal spines, external margin with 4 blunt teeth ( Fig. 40K View Fig ). Ischium of third maxilliped almost smooth ( Fig. 46I View Fig ). Adult ambulatory legs relatively long, slender ( Fig. 29 View Fig ). G1 gently curved, distal part with long setae, with low subdistal swelling ( Fig. 33N–R View Fig ).

Remarks. Sakaija africana was described on the basis of one male specimen, 24 mm in carapace length, collected off Durban, Indian Ocean coast of South Africa. It is the largest known species of Sakaija . This species seems common in the Mozambique Channel at a depth of around 300 m.

Male and female specimens smaller than the holotype ( Fig. 29B, D View Fig ) generally have relatively shorter ambulatory legs compared to large males ( Fig. 29C View Fig ); with females also having proportionately shorter pseudorostral spines. The G1 figured by Griffin & Tranter (1986: fig. 73c, d) appears to have been drawn in situ and at an angle and not with the structure lying flat on its dorsal or ventral surfaces. The two lobes depicted on their fig. 73d (present Fig. 33N, O View Fig ) is where the folds overlap ( Fig. 33Q, R View Fig ). They otherwise agree very well in form and structure.