Eriphia Latreille 1817

Genus Eriphia Latreille, 1817

Eriphia Latreille, 1817: 404; H. Milne Edwards, 1834: 425; Dana, 1852b: 246; Hess, 1865: 135; A. Milne-Edwards, 1873: 255; Miers, 1886: 162; Alcock, 1898: 213; Stimpson, 1907: 71; Stebbing, 1910: 302; Rathbun, 1930: 545; Sakai, 1939: 522; Ward, 1939: 11; Ward, 1941: 13; Ward, 1942: 98; Garth, 1946: 482; Barnard, 1950: 273; Balss, 1857: 1651; Holthuis, 1962: 236; Sakai, 1976: 477; Manning & Holthuis, 1981: 124; Crosnier, in Serène, 1984: 309; Dai & Yang, 1991: 256; Ng et al., 2008: 83.

Type species: Eriphia verrucosa (Forskål, 1775), by subsequent designation (Holthuis, 1962: 236).

Diagnosis. – Carapace hexagonal; surfaces tuberculated anteriorly, generally smooth posteriorly; regions well defined anteriorly; frontal, gastric and hepatic regions tuberculated. Front not continuous with orbital margin, usually denticulated. Orbits denticulated, with at least one external orbital spine; orbital hiatus absent. Anterolateral margin convex; with spines decreasing in size from front to back. Posterolateral margin distinctly convergent towards posterior carapace margin, generally smooth, longer than anterolateral margin. Posterior carapace margin with a smooth transverse ridge. Second antennular segment folding transversely. Antenna positioned on external part of frontal margin, not in contact with orbital margin; flagellum short, not reaching orbital margin. Merus of third maxillipeds irregularly pentagonal; entire along outer margin. Branchial channel partially covered by merus of third maxilliped. Chelipeds asymmetrical in males; denticles present at ventral margin of basis-ischium and merus along inner ventral margin; inner median margin of carpus with prominent spine, sometimes with a few small spines; chela relatively short, stout, cutting edge of finger of major chela with basal molariform tooth on both propodus and dactylus. Ambulatory legs relatively long, subcylindrical; surfaces smooth; margins generally pubescent to varying degrees. Anterior male thoracic sternum pubescent with short, stiff setae, setae arranged in tufts. Sixth abdominal segment longer than telson. G1 short, stout, subcylindrical, tapering distally; spinules present along inner and/or outer margins. G2 very slender, longer than G1; distal part shorter than subdistal part.

Remarks. – Within the Eriphiidae, the genus Eriphia sensu stricto is quite distinct from other genera, with members having a hexagonal carapace, antennae inserted at the external edge of the frontal margin, and presence of denticles on the ventral margin of the basis-ischium of the cheliped. Despite this, in the form of the male abdomen (all segments freely movable), as well as in its simple, stout G1 and relatively long G2, they agree with other members of the family.