Genus Mertonia

Laurie, 1906

Carapace rudely semicircular in outline, convex fore and aft, strongly declivous anteriorly. Dorsal surface smooth and polished, except for a stripe of granules along the lateral margins. Postero-lateral margins divergent backwards. Fronto-orbital border more than half the greatest breadth of carapace. Front distinctly bilobed. Orbits ventral, completely filled by the firmly fixed eyestalks. Eyes minute but quite distinct, visible in ventral view; cornea relatively large, placed ventrally at tip of eyestalk. Antennules small, completely fitting into the fossae beneath the front. Antennae remarkably long, stout; the flagellum thick and with all articles markedly provided with feathered hairs. Epistome of good length, commonly prominent at posterior margin. Buccal cavern with the lateral margins distinctly converging backwards. Outer angle of the merus of third maxillipeds produced laterally. Chelipeds subequal, rather small; palm with granules except in the central portion which is smooth. Ambulatory legs all subequal in length, fringed with silky setae; merus unarmed; propodus unusually short; dactyli not flattened. (Guinot 1998)

Type species: Mertonia lanka Laurie, 1906.

Species treated:
Mertonia lanka Laurie, 1906

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