Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification -  drawing : Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Carapace hexagonal, wider than long, pubescent, with transverse granulate lines on each side of frontal, protogastric, mesogastric, cardiac and mesobranchial regions, and between posterior teeth of antero-lateral margin. Front wide, bilobed. Antero-lateral margins subparallel with four teeth, penultimate smallest. Antero-external angle of basal antennal joint greatly produced, granulose, bearing 5-8 rounded teeth. Chelipeds slightly pubescent, anterior margin of merus with three teeth and several denticles, carpus with strong, acute tooth on internal margin, upper, external surface granulose. Upper surface of propodus with two granulose ridges and five teeth. Ventral margin of merus and propodus of walking legs with distal spine, posterior margin of fifth leg propodus with 7-9 spinules. color : carapace yellowish, cheliped fingers with transverse light brown band. common size : CL 1.0 cm, CW 1.7 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Antero-lateral margins quadridentate, whereas all other portunids in the Mediterranean bear five or more teeth. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Poorly known. habitat : coral sands and seaweeds, intertidal.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Ligurian Sea, Italy, 1979 [1977]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-West Pacific. Mediterranean : recorded from Italy, Genova harbour and Southern Sardinia (Relini Orsi and Mori, 1979 [1977]). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS None. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Maritime traffic. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Crosnier A., 1962. Crustacés décapodes Portunidae. Faune de Madagascar, 16: 1-154. Relini Orsi L. and Mori M., 1979. Due reperti mediterranei di Thalamita gloriensis Crosnier, 1962 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae). Oebalia, 7-13. Zibrowius H., 1992. Ongoing modification of the Mediterranean marine fauna and flora by the establishment of exotic species. Mésogée [Bulletin du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille], 51 [1991]: 83-107.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2002 ©ciesm 2002