Taxonomic Study Of Pinnotheridae (Crustacea: Decapoda) Of The China Seas

Pinnotherid crab is an interesting group of decapod crustacean with small body size and low movement ability;and some of them are commensal with other invertebrates. The present study deals with the less investigated Chinese pinnotherid fauna based on the materials collected by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the China seas in the last five decades. The results of taxonomic and zoogeographic studies are presented. A total of 40 species of Pinnotheridae belonging to five subfamilies and twelve genera are described, of which 4 genera and 9 species are recorded for the first time from the China seas. Keys to subfamilies, genera and species are given in the text. Taxonomic problems and zoogeographic characteristics are discussed. Morphological differences between Tritodynamia intermedia Shen, 1935, and Tritodynamia horvathi Nobili, 1905, are compared. The conclusion is that T. intermedia Shen, 1935, should be accepted as a valid species, but not junior synonym of T. horvathi Nobili, 1905, as that concluded by Sakai (1976).Zoogeographic characteristics of pinnotherid species of the China seas is similar to those of Japan and adjacent areas of the South-East Asia, but a lot of species (being 8 an 4 respectively) of Pinnotheres and Tritodynamia recorded from the China seas have not yet been found in Japanese waters;and some species are recorded only from the China seas.Specimens studied in the present work are deposited in the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) in Qingdao.The name list of recorded species is given below, those marked with a "a" are recorded for the first time from the Chinese waters and species marked with a "*"arenot in the collection of IOC AS. List of Chinese species of Pinnohteridae: Anomalifrontinae Anomalifrons Rathbun, 19311. Anomanlifrons lightana Rathbun, 1931 AsthenognathinaeAsthenognathus Stimpson, 18582. Asthenognathus gallardoi Serene & Soh, 1976a3. Asthenognathus hexagonum Rathbun, 1909 a4. Asthenognathus inaequipes Stimpson, 1858 Tritodynamia Ortmann, 18945. Tritodynamia bidentata Yang & Tang, 2005*6. Tritodynamia dilatatum Yang & Sun, 19967. Tritodynamia longipropodum Dai et al, 1980*8. Tritodynamia fujianensis Chen, 19799. Tritodynamia hainanensis Dai et al, 198010. Tritodynamia rathbuni Shen, 193211. Tritodynamia horvathiNobili, 1905*12. Tritodynamia intermedia Shen, 1935 PinnothereliinaePinnixa White, 184613. Pinnixapenultipedalis Stimpson, 185814. Pinnixa tumida Stimpson, 1858 Tetrias Rathbun, 189815. Tetrias flscherii (A. Milne Edwards, 1867) a PinnotherinaePinnaxodes Heller, 186516. Pinnaxodes major Ortmann, 1 894a17. Pinnaxodes mutuensis Sakai, 1939a Pinnotheres Bosc, 180218. Pinnotheres serrignathus Shen, 1932*19. Pinnotheres dilatatus Shen, 193220. Pinnotheres tsingtaoensis Shen, 193221. Pinnotheres luminatus Dai et al, 1980*22. Pinnotherespholadis De Haan, 183523. Pinnotheres haiyangensis Shen, 1932*24. Pinnotherespilulus Dai et al., 198025. Pinnotheres obtusidentata (Dai et al., 1980 )26. Pinnotheres spinidactylus Gordon, 193627. Pinnotheres nigrans Rathbun, 190928. Pinnotheres boninensis Stimpson, 185829. Pinnotheres excussus Dai et al, 198030. Pinnotheres sinensis Shen, 193231. Pinnotheres latus Burger, 189532. Pinnotheres cyclinus Shen, 1932* Sakaina Serene, 196433. Sakaina asiatica (Sakai, 1933) â–²34. Sakaina japonica Serene, 1964a35. Sakaina koreensis Kim & Sakai, 1972a Xanthasis White, 184636. Xanthasis murigera White, 1846 Tridacnatheres Ahyong & Ng, 200537. Tridacnatheres whitei (de Man, 1888) â–² XenophthalminaeXenophthalmus White, 184638. Xenophthalmus pinnotheroides White, 1846 Neoxenophthalmus Serene & Umali, 197239. Neoxenophthalmus obscurus (Henderson, 1893)...