On two interesting marine crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from Mandvi,Kutch

摘要

In connection with studies on animal-sediment relationship, involving burrows made by polychaetes, crustaceans and molluscs, crabs were collected from the intertidal zone around Mandvi region (22 degree 55' N, 69 degree 20' E) in the Gulf of Kutch. A total of seven species were collected and identified as: (1) Matuta lunaris (Forskal), (2) Portunus tenuipes (Fabricius), (3) Ocypoda ceratophthalma, (De Haan), (4) O. platytarsis (Pallas), (5) O. Platytarsis Milne-Edwards, (6) O. rotundata Miers, and (7) Plagusia depressa var. squamosa (Herbst.). Stuides on marine crabs of the erstwhile Bombay State, Maharashtra, India had recorded species 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 from the above list. The other two, namely Portunus tenuipes (De Haan) and Ocypoda platytarsis Milne-Edwards appear to be new records for the region.