A new family, genus and species of cavernicolous crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachura: Pseudozioidea) from Christmas Island, Australia

作者：Naruse Tohru; Ng Peter K L^*

来源：Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2014, 263-273.

• Taxonomy
• Pseudozioidea
• new family
• new genus
• new species
• Christmas Island
• Australia

A new genus and species of cavernicolous pseudozioid crab, Christmaplax mirabilis, is described from Christmas Island, Australia. The new crab was found in a subterranean pool located near the underwater entrance of a marine cave on the northwestern coast of the island. Christmaplax mirabilis has cavernicolous adaptations (e.g., reduced eyes, elongated ambulatory legs and pale colour) and superficially resembles anchialine crabs of the genus Orcovita (Varunidae). The characters of the female gonopores, male gonopods 1 and 2, and male abdomens show that it is a member of the Pseudozioidea. However, Christmaplax mirabilis cannot be placed in any of the three recognised pseudozioid families (Pseudoziidae, Planopilumnidae and Pilumnoididae), requiring the establishment of a new family, Christmaplacidae. The genus Flindersoplax Davie, 1989, previously placed in Pseudoziidae, is also transferred to the Planopilumnidae.

• 出版日期2014-12-25