Redescription and new distributional records of Matuta planipes (Fabricius, 1798) (Crustacea; Decapoda; Matutidae) from Chennai Coast, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Matuta planipes is reported for the first occurrence from Chennai coast, Tamil Nadu. Four female and two male specimens was caught in trawl net near Kasimedu fish landing center, on September 2013. The morphological characters of Matuta planipes, is having on surface regions of male chela a single spine, frontal lobes and carapace covered with reticulated loops as compared with bispinose chela, rounded lobes and minutely spotted carapace of the latter, these characters mostly differs from Matuta victor. The specimen has been compared with the earlier reports and other similar species.

Keywords

• Matuta planipes
• trawl net
• Kasimedu
• Chennai coast