Vol. 110 - Part III - Zoological Survey of India

66 Rec. zool. Surv. Indiaof all long joints hairy, more in the lower edge of thedactylus and the upper edge of the other joints; upperedge of propodus and dactylus strongly granular.Habitat : Found in live and dead corals.Distribution : Reports on previous records of thespecies from the GoMMBR: Tuticorin (Henderson,1893), Krusadai Island (Gravely, 1927), Kilakkarai(Sankarankutty, 1967) and islands of Gulf of Mannar(Jeyabaskaran et al., 2000), from the Indian waters: Okhaand Mumbai (Chhappgar, 1957), Lakshadweep,Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Alcock, 1898) and fromthe Indo-Pacific region: Red Sea, Persian Gulf, east coastof Africa, Mauritius, Karachi, Sri Lanka, Celebes,Singapore, Reunion Islands, Japan and Hawaii (Alcock1898; Sankarankutty 1962a; Sakai 1976).Remarks : It was recoded from the dead Pocilloporacorals covered with algae from Manauli Putti, Mulli andAnaipar Islands.10. Pilodius areolatus (H. Milne Edwards)Plate-II, Fig.-j1834. Chlorodius areolatus H. Milne Edwards, LibrairaeEncyclopedique de Roret, 1, p. 400.1976. Pilodius areolatus Sakai, Crabs of Japan and adjacentseas, p. 460.Materials : 6 Males and 10 females; the maximumCL is 1.0 cm and the minimum CL is 0.5 cm.Diagnosis : Carapace flat and completely lobulatedand covered with a coast of very short pubescence;lobules of carapace deeply demarcated and convex;covered with pearly granules of equal size; front deeplyand broadly cut into two granular lobe; chelipedsunequal; outer surface of arm, wrist and hand coveredwith pearly granules; fingers strongly arches; exposedsurface of legs covered with a dense spongy fur, fromwhich, the tops of numerous conical shaped granulespeep out.Habitat : Corals reefs in shallow waters.Distribution : Reports on previous records of thespecies from the GoMMBR : Islands of Gulf of Mannar(Jeyabaskaran et al., 2000), from theIndian waters:Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Alcock, 1898) and fromthe Indo-Pacific region : Red Sea, east coast of Africa,Mauritius, Sri Lanka, south seas, Japan and Hawaii(Alcock 1898; Sakai 1976).Remarks : It was recorded from the dead Pocilloporacorals covered with algae from Poomarichan and HareIslands.11. Chlorodiella nigra (Forskål)Plate-II, Fig.-k1775. Cancer niger Forskål, Hauniae, I-XXXIV, p. 89.1976. Chlorodiella nigra Sakai, Crabs of Japan and adjacentseas, p. 465.Materials : 388 Males and 540 females; the maximumCL is 2.0 cm and the minimum CL is 0.3 cm.Diagnosis : Carapace transversely hexagonal, 1.5-1.6 times as broad as long, slightly convex; surfacesmooth and glabrous with ill-defined regions; frontbroad, about 0.4 times the carapace breadth, almoststraight with a shallow median notch; anterolateralborder with four teeth behind the outer orbital angle,rounded in adult and sharp in juvenile specimens; firsttooth often smaller or even indistinct and confluentwith outer orbital angle; chelipeds asymmetrical, twicethe length of carapace, smooth and unarmed except fora small spine or tubercle on the anterior border of themerus and on the inner margin of the carpus; tips offingers spoon-shaped. Ambulatory legs stout, smoothwith numerous long plumose setae.Habitat recorded by earlier workers : Found inlive and dead corals.Distribution : Reports on previous records of thespecies from the GoMMBR: Krusadai Island (Gravely,1927), Manauli Island (Sankarankutty, 1967) and islandsof Gulf of Mannar (Jeyabaskaran et al., 2000), from theIndian waters: Lakshadweep (Borradaile, 1902; 1903),Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Heller 1868; Alcock1898) and from the Indo-Pacific region: Red Sea, southand east coasts of Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles,Karachi, Mergui Archipelago, Australia, FrenchPolynesia, Japan and Hawaii (Sankarankutty 1962a;Sakai 1976).Remarks : It was recorded from the deadPocillopora corals covered with algae from Shingle,Krusadai, Poomarichan, Pullivasal, Manauli Putti, Hare,Mulli, Vaalai and Thalayari, Appa, Anaipar, Nallathanniand Upputhanni Islands.