Vol. 62, 2023
(update: 2023.1.9)
Tuerkayana latens, a New Species of
Land Crab from French Polynesia, with a Discussion on the Phylogeny of
the Genus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae)
Peter
K. L. Ng1 and Hsi-Te Shih2,*
doi:-
1Department
of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge,
Singapore 119260, Republic of Singapore. E-mail: peterng@nus.edu.sg (Ng)
2Department of Life Science and Research Center for
Global Change, National Chung Hsing University, 250, Kuo Kuang Road,
Taichung 402, Taiwan. *Correspondence: E-mail:
htshih@dragon.nchu.edu.tw (Shih)
(Received 3 August 2022 / Accepted 14
December 2022 / Published -- 2023)
Communicated by Felipe Ottoni
The
taxonomy of the gecarcinid land crab Tuerkayana
rotundum (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) is revised. The taxon, the
type species of the genus, occurs from the western Indian Ocean to the
western Pacific, and varies substantially in colour and various
morphological features, but the male first gonopod structure is
constant and the extensive genetic data from mitochondrial 16S rDNA,
cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and control region markers confirms the
recognition of one wide-ranging species. Specimens from Tuamotu in
French Polynesia and Pitcairn Island, however, differ in having a
smoother and slightly more swollen carapace, and significantly, the
male first gonopod structure is distinctly different. The genetic data
also supports their differentiation. As such, this material is here
recognised as a new species, Tuerkayana
latens n. sp.
Key words: Land crabs, Gecarcinidae,
Tuerkayana latens, new species, systematics, phylogeny, 16S rDNA,
cytochrome c oxidase subunit
1, control region, South Pacific, Tuamotu Islands, Pitcaim Islands.
Citation: Ng PKL, Shih HT. 2023. Tuerkayana latens, a new species of
land crab from French Polynesia, with a discussion on the phylogeny of
the genus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinidae). Zool Stud 62:10.

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