Wahrania arambourgi ( Van Straelen, 1937 ) Charbonnier & Garassino & Pasini & Chény, 2024

Charbonnier, Sylvain, Garassino, Alessandro, Pasini, Giovanni & Chény, Cédric, 2024, Review of brachyuran crabs from the late Miocene (Messinian) of Oran, Algeria, Geodiversitas 46 (2), pp. 13-29 : 19

Wahrania arambourgi ( Van Straelen, 1937) , n. comb.

( Fig. 2E, F )

Maia [sic] arambourgi Van Straelen, 1937: 475 , 476, pl. 33, fig. 3. — Glaessner 1969: R502, fig. 314.9.

Maja arambourgi – Saint Martin & Müller 1988: 251. — Moissette & Müller 1990: 738, 739. — Schweitzer et al. 2010: 97.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype by monotypy ( MNHN.F.R03773 , Arambourg coll.).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Les Planteurs quarry , Sanaouber district of Sidi El Houari, Oran.

TYPE AGE. — Late Miocene (late Messinian ).

DESCRIPTION

Carapace

Carapace pyriform;pseudorostral spines (= rostrum)longer than the half of carapace length; pseudorostral spines sharp, straight, diverging,slightly deflected;supraorbital eave rimmed with sharp postorbital spine; one very long, sharp hepatic spine, as long as the pseudorostral spines, slightly turned downward; a pair of short,sharp, straight accessorial spines at the base of hepatic spine; one long, sharp epibranchial spine, slightly turned upward; one long, sharp, straight mesobranchial spine, as long as epibranchial spine, directed outward; two long, sharp, straight metabranchial spines, as long as mesobranchial spine, directed posteriorly; narrow posterior margin poorly preserved; meso- and metagastric regions slightly inflated; urogastric and cardiac regions slightly inflated and marked by a deep branchiocardiac groove; dorsal surface of carapace and spines strongly tuberculate(based onVan Straelen 1937: pl. 33, fig. 3, we note that the surface of carapace was altered and eroded, inducing the loose of ornamentation).

DISCUSSION

The fossil record of the representatives of the Epialtidae from the Miocene is very scarce. Indeed, only eight genera of the Epialtinae and Pisinae are known to date from the Miocene of Europe ( Hungary and Poland), North America ( USA), South America ( Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela), Taiwan, and Japan ( Schweitzer et al. 2020). However, only two fossil species are known to date from the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin: Herbstia melitense Gatt & De Angeli, 2010 (Pisinae Dana, 1851) from Malta and Wahrania arambourgi ( Van Straelen, 1937) , n. comb. ( Wahraniinae n. subfam.) from Algeria.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Brachyurancrabs from thelate Messinian of Oran(Les Planteursquarry,Arambourg coll.):A-D,Calappa saheliensis Van Straelen,1937:A,holotype MNHN.F.R03768, dorsal view;B, paratype MNHN.F.A28898, dorsal view;C, paratype MNHN.F.A28899, dorsal view;D, paratype MNHN.F.A28902, dorsal view;E, F, Wahrania arambourgi (Van Straelen, 1937), n. comb. holotype MNHN.F.R03773, dorsal view and line drawing of carapace. Abbreviations: b, branchiocardiac groove; ca, cardiac region; i, intestinal region; ms, mesogastric region; mt, metagastric region; o, orbit; u, urogastric region; 1, pseudorostral spine (= rostrum); 2, postorbital spine; 3, hepatic spine; 3.1, accessorial spine of hepatic spine;4, epibranchial spine;5, mesobranchial spine;6, 7, metabranchial spines. Scale bars: 1 cm. Photographs: Lilian Cazes.