Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification -  photo : Bella Galil

SHORT DESCRIPTION Carapace subpyriform, convex, faintly tuberculate, pubescent, short epibranchial spine. Prominent medial gastric, cardiac and intestinal elevations, gastric elevation tubercle-topped. Pair of protogastric tubercles near orbit. Six mesobranchial subequal tubercles on each side of midline. Five tubercles close to postero-lateral margin. Two rostral spines divergent, two-thirds as long as carapace in male, considerably less in female. Supra-orbital eave prominent, anteriorly spiniform, separated from large post-ocular tooth. Eye-stalks short, retractile. Cheliped, as long as carapace, with merus proximally nodular, chela smooth, glabrous. Walking legs meri nodular; posterior margin of dactyls prominently spinulose, spines increasing in size distally. color : brownish. common size : CL 3.6 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Rostral spines long, slender, divergent; supraocular eave prominent. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Poorly known. habitat : 2-93 m, coarse sand, shell gravel, clay.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1964 [1960]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea to Malay Archipelago. Mediterranean : recorded first from Israel (Lewinsohn and Holthuis, 1964 [1960]). Successively recorded in Egypt (Ramadan and Dowidar, 1976); Israel (Galil, 2006). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal (Calman, 1927). IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Galil B.S., 2006. A rare record of Hyastenus hilgendorfi (Crustacea: Decapoda: Majidae) from the Levant. Aquatic Invasions, 1(4): 284-285. Griffin D.J.G. and H.A. Tranter, 1986. The Decapoda Brachyura of the Siboga Expedition. VIII. Majidae. Siboga Expeditie Monographie 39C4, 335 pp. Lewinsohn C. and L.B. Holthuis, 1964. New records of Decapod Crustacea from the Mediterranean coast of Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean. Zoologische Mededelingen, Leiden, 40(8): 75-82.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: 2009 ©ciesm 2002