Two new species of leucosiid crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Abstract

Two new species of leucosiid crabs of the genera Alox and Ebalia are described. Alox uru, new species, is distinguished from all eight congeners by the shape of the carapace. Alox rugosum is perhaps most similar to the new species, but Alox uru differs in its carapace shape and the distally swollen male first gonopod. Alox zalion too has distally swollen male first gonopod, but A. uru differs from A. zalion in having the male first gonopod distally spinose. Ebalia stellaris, new species, is distinguished from E. humilis by the characters of the carapace and the cheliped. Ebalia stellaris can be also differentiated from Nursia species by a combination of carapacial characters-lack of dorsal ridge, a salient junction of anterolateral and posterolateral margins, and a distinctly wider carapace.