Notopelta, Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016

Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016, Revision of the family Chasmocarcinidae Serène, 1964 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Goneplacoidea), Zootaxa 4209 (1), pp. 1-182 : 71-72

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4209.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:849BAB5C-464A-4B4A-A586-5742411EDC01
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5617159
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F16BFB33-FFE5-FFBC-FF6A-FC05FC42FE69
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Notopelta
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Notopelta View in CoL n. gen.

Hephthopelta View in CoL — Serène 1964a: 239; 1968 [in list] (part).—Ng et al. 2008: 76 [in list] (part).

Type species. Hephthopelta mortenseni Serène, 1964 (by monotypy, gender feminine).

Diagnosis. Carapace ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 G–I) subtrapezoidal, distinctly wider than long, gently convex dorsally, 1.4 wider than long; front bilobed, with shallow median cleft; anterolateral margins arcuate, with submarginal, granular crest ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 H), without distinct lobes or teeth. Epistome ( Fig. 25 View FIGURE 25 G) slightly depressed; narrow, semicircular median lobe with deep median fissure, semicircular lateral margins. Eye peduncle ( Fig. 25 View FIGURE 25 G) filling orbit, thick, short, granular, median part constricted, dorso-ventrally flattened (reniform appearance), mobile; cornea reduced, dorsoventrally flattened (reniform), pigmented. Third maxillipeds ( Fig. 32 View FIGURE 32 F) not filling buccal cavern when closed; merus ovate, outer margin salient, anteroexternal angle rounded; ischium rectangular, about as long as merus. Chelipeds ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 G; 45A, B) subequal in length; fingers of minor chela ( Fig. 45 View FIGURE 45 B) subcircular in cross-section, not distinctly laterally flattened, gently tapering to tip; scissor-like, cutting margins with distinct sharp teeth; cutting margin of major chela of males ( Fig. 45 View FIGURE 45 A) with short, blunt teeth, largest most proximal. Ventral surface of cheliped merus with row of sharp tubercles along outer margin, inner margin unarmed ( Fig. 42 View FIGURE 42 L). Inner margin of cheliped carpus with short distal tooth, proximal part rounded ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 G). Inner margin of basis-ischium of major male cheliped ( Fig. 42 View FIGURE 42 L) with long, conspicuous prolongation (short, triangular in small individuals). Meri of ambulatory legs ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 G) unarmed. P5 dactylus distinctly upcurved ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 G). Fused thoracic sternites 1, 2 ( Fig. 53 View FIGURE 53 F) distinctly broad, short, slightly depressed; fused sternites 3, 4 ( Fig. 53 View FIGURE 53 F) with broad concavity. Male pleon ( Figs. 53 View FIGURE 53 F, 60E) with lateral margins of somite 6 nearly straight, fused somites 3‒5 slightly concave; telson proportionally long; postero-lateral regions only slightly swollen. Sterno-pleonal cavity of male deep, press-button for pleonal holding as pointed tubercle posterior to thoracic sternal suture 4/5 near edge of sterno-pleonal cavity. Male thoracic sternite 8 long, subovate; “supplementary plate” long subovate; structures tightly appressed with most of penis concealed ( Fig. 60 View FIGURE 60 E). G1 ( Fig. 76 View FIGURE 76 F‒H) with stout basal part; distal part tapering to broad tip, with stout, long spinules. G2 ( Fig. 76 View FIGURE 76 I) about 3/4 length of G1; basal segment long, distal segment short. Somites of female pleon with convex lateral margins ( Fig. 87 View FIGURE 87 F); telson proportionally long. Sterno-pleonal cavity of female ( Fig. 87 View FIGURE 87 G) moderately deep, with large, ovate vulvae relatively close together, located on outer margins of cavity close to deflected suture 5/6.

Etymology. The name is derived from the arbitrary combination of notos, Greek for “back”, in reference to the conspicuously wide carapace of the type species, and pelta, which is derived from the generic name Hephthopelta to denote that that the type species was formerly included in Hephthopelta s. lato.

Remarks. The diagnostic characters for this genus are the presence of a submarginal granular crest along the anterolateral margin, a relatively wide carapace and proportionately wider male thoracic sternum, thick but dorsoventrally flattened (reniform) eyestalks and a distinct ischial prolongation of the major male cheliped. The characteristics and differences between Notopelta n. gen. and the other genera once treated as part of Hephthopelta s. lato are summarised in Table 2 View TABLE 2 .

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific region: western Pacific Ocean.