Podocatactes Ortmann, 1893

Tavares, Marcos & Cleva, Régis, 2010, Trichopeltariidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura), A New Family And Superfamily Of Eubrachyuran Crabs With Description Of One New Genus And Five New Species, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 50 (9), pp. 97-157 : 116-117

Podocatactes Ortmann, 1893

Podocatactes . Ortmann,. 1893a:29,. pl. 3,. fig. 1. [type. species. Podocatactes hamifer .Ortmann,.1893,.by. monotypy].

Species included: Podocatactes hamifer .Ortmann,.1893;. Podocatactes delli . (Guinot,. 1989). comb. nov.;. and. Podocatactes foresti .(Guinot,.1989).comb. nov.

Emended diagnosis:. Carapace. pear-shaped,. its. dorsal. surface.densely.covered.with.rounded.or.acute.tubercles;.cervical.and.branchio-cardiac.groove.well.formed,. smooth.. Gastric.pits.small,. close. to. each.other..Hepatic,.first.and.second.epibranchial.teeth.of.carapace. well.distinct;.first.epibranchial.tooth.either.strong.or. reduced.to.a.bump;.second.epibranchial.tooth.long,. either.directed.outward.or.curved.forward..Posterolateral.margin.of.carapace.well.delimited..Front.cut.into. three. teeth;. central. rostral. tooth. much. shorter. than. laterals,.either.acute.or.rounded.. Orbit .delimited.superiorly.by.two.supraorbital.teeth.(inner.and.medial. orbital.teeth);.laterally.by.exorbital.tooth,.inferiorly.by. infraorbital.tooth.and.antennal.article.2+3..Exorbital. and.infraorbital.teeth.separated.by.deep,.wide.gap;.infraorbital.tooth.and.antennal.article.2+3.separated.by. deep.notch.partially.filled.by.intercalated.piece..Orbital.cavity.very.shallow..Ocular.peduncle.noticeably. slender.and.long.(globulous.proximally),.strongly.calcified,.little.movable,.not.fully.retractable.into.orbital. cavity..Cornea.small,.either.slightly.pigmented.or.unpigmented;. ommatidiae. hardly. recognizable.. Antennal.article.1.slightly.beaked.laterally;.articles.2-3.fused. to. one. another. with. no. trace. of. suture. in. between.. Antennal. article. 2+3. hardly. movable,. fused. basally. to.intercalated.piece;.antennal.article.2+3.and.lateral. rostral.tooth.in.close.contact.to.but.not.fused.to.each. other.. Antennal. article. 2+3-5. cylindrical;. antennal. article. 5. shorter. than. articles. 2+3. and. 4.. Antennal. conduit.present;.antennal.flagellum.remarkably.long,. about. as. long. as. half. of. maximum. carapace. length;. articles.noticeably.large.and.well.calcified..Dorsal.and. ventral.faces.of.antennae.(articles.2+3,.4-5,.and.flagellum).fringed.along.entire.length.by.row.of.long.setae.. Setae.of.each.row.directed.towards.corresponding.row. on.antenna.of.opposite.side..Opposing.rows.of.setae. juxtapose,.forming.median.conduit..Mandibular.palp. 3-articulated,.articles.1-2.fused.together,.immovable. in.relation.to.each.other;.suture.between.articles.1-2. still.recognizable..Limit.between.endostome.and.epistome.poorly.recognizable,.represented.by.curved.row. of.short.setae..Endostomial.ridges.strong,.straight,.inward. directed.. Merus. of. mxp3. operculiform,. much. shorter. than. ischium,. its. distal. end. not. reaching. to. antennal. article.1..Sternal.median.line.only. on.sternites.7.and.8..Pl8.gutter.edge.lunate,.well.developed.. Pl4-3.with.two,.well.developed.pleurobranchiae.each;. Pl2.with.one,.well. developed. pleurobranchia;. mxp2. with.one,.well.developed.podobranchia..Heterochely. distinct. but. not. very. pronounced.. Male. and. female. abdomen.of. six. segments. and. telson;. postero-lateral. angles. of. segment.6.only. weakly. produced.forward;. telson.not.intercalated.within.abdominal.segment.6.. Abdominal.locking.system.functional.only.in.males,. thoracic.sternal.button.either.adjacent.to.or.far.from. sternal. suture. 5/6;. young. females. with. tiny. sternal. buttons.

Remarks:.The.genus. Podocatactes .is.no.longer.monotypic.as.it.now.comprises,.in.addition.to.its. type.species. Podocatactes hamifer , Podocatactes delli . (Guinot,. 1989). comb. nov.. and. Podocatactes foresti . (Guinot,. 1989). comb. nov.,. both. originally. described. in. the. genus. Trachicarcinus.Faxon,.1893.(junior.synonym.of. Trichopeltarion .A..Milne-Edwards,.1880).and.herein. included. in. Podocatactes . . Actually,. both. Podocatactes delli .and. P. foresti .share.with. P. hamifer .a.unique.set.of. characters.of.the.genus. Podocatactes ,.such.as.the.antennal.article.2+3.and.the.lateral.rostral.tooth.in.close. contact.to.but.not.fused.with.each.other.(versus.a.noticeable.gap.between.the.antennal.article.2+3.and.the. lateral.rostral.tooth.in. Trichopeltarion ).and.the.possession.of.an.antennal.conduit.with.a.remarkably.long. antennal.flagellum,.about.as.long.as.half.of.maximum. carapace.length;.articles.of.flagellum.noticeably.large. and.well.calcified,.so.that.the.long.antenna.can.be.easily.held.straight;.dorsal.and.ventral.faces.of.antenna. (articles.2+3,.4-5,.and.flagellum).fringed.along.entire. length.by.row.of.long.setae;.setae.of.each.row.directed. towards. corresponding. row. on. antenna. of. opposite. side;.opposing.rows.of.setae. juxtapose,.forming.median.conduit.(such.an.antennal.conduit.is.lacking.in. Trichopeltarion )..Additionally,.in.the.three.species.of. Podocatactes .the.orbital.cavity.is.very.shallow.(versus. orbital. cavity. deeply. excavated. in. Trichopeltarion );. and.the.mandibular.palp.is.3-articulated,.with.articles. 1-2.fused.together.and.immovable.in.relation.to.each. other,.with.line.of.suture.between.articles.1-2.still.recognizable. (in. Trichopeltarion . the.mandibular. palp. is. 2-articulated. as. articles. 1-2. are. completely. fused. to. each.other,.with.no.line.of.suture.in.between)..Salva. &.Feldmann.(2001:29).mentioned.that. Trachycarcinus hystricosus .Garth.in.Garth.&.Haig,.1971;. Trachycarcinus delli . and. Trachycarcinus foresti . do. not. fit. in. their.definition.of. Trichopeltarion ,.so.“They.should.be. reclassified.into.another.already.existing,.or.a.new.genus”..Salva.&Feldmann.(2001).did.not.elaborate.on. this.any.further.