First Records of Leucosiid Crabs: Hiplyra sagitta (Galil, 2009) from Iraqi Coast, NW-Arabian Gulf

In the present study, a Leucosiid crab Hiplyra sagitta (Galil, 2009), was found for the first time in the Iraqi coast, from the lower reaches of Shatt Al-Arab at Fao city, Basrah, Iraq, during November 2016. Diagnostic characters of the species are figured and its world geographical distribution, especially in the Persian Gulf region is considered.


Background
Leucosiidae is common family in the Arabian-Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and red sea. This is most diverse and distribution of all brachyuran families (Stephensen, 1946;Titgen, 1982;Apel, 2001 Naderloo andTürkay, 2012). Leucosiidae family formed about 16.6% of all brachyuran crab species of the Persian Gulf (Apel, 2001).

Materials and Methods
The specimens of Leucosiid crabs H. sagitta were collected from intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of Iraqi coast at the Rass Al-Beshaa area from the lower reaches of the Shatt Al-Arab in Fao city, north-western Arabian Gulf (Figure 1) by hand and trawl net. Some physico-chemical parameters recorded from the study area during the collections made in November 2016 are: water temperature, 22.5°C; pH, 7.68; salinity, 34.5 psu; dissolved oxygen, 6.94 mg/L. The specimens of Leucosiid crabs H. sagitta were preserved in 70-80% alcohol and shipped to the laboratory of Marine biology Dep., Marine science Center, University of Basrah and deposited in the (MSC, 54).
The specimens of this species were identified following: Galil (2009)
Anterolateral and posterolateral border covered with larger to smaller granules; front crescentic shaped nearly smooth; shallow anterior margin of efferent channel nearly straight, separated from lateral granulated margin by narrow U-shaped incision. lower margin bearing line of prominent granules. Abdominal segments 3-6, Male abdomen ( Figure 2B) elongate-triangular; telson completely smooth.
Chelipeds equal in size and shape; merus longer than total length of carapace, Male chelipeds ( Figure 2A) moderately long than female and long than carapace length about 2.5 times the carapace length, its surface minutely granulate, anteriorly granulate. Ambulatory legs are slender; merus longer than carpus and propodus; dactylus sharp tipped at distal end. First male pleopod ( Figure 2B) slender filamentous, tip setose, apical brush like plumose setae, setae on lateral sides; distal end of base setose, bulge formed.

Remarks
Hiplyra sagitta was described from the Persian Gulf by Galil (2009). The specimens in current study agree closely with the specimens description in Galil (2009) Holotype and paratypes from Danish Expedition material collected in 1937 from south Iran shores were described by Galil (2009) and published by Stephensen (1946) under the name of Philyra variegata. Apel (2001) had re-examined material of Philyra variegata of Stephensen (1946) from Jask and mentioned that there are two new species within the material. Philyra n. sp.1 of Apel (2001) has been later described by Galil (2009) as Hiplyra sagitta. The second new species distinguished by Apel (2001) within the P. variegata has been assigned to H. elegans (Gravier, 1920) by Naderloo and Apel (2012).

Habitat
Muddy and Sandy shallow intertidal and subtidal zones, 5.5-25 m.