(Herbst, 1801)
The superior margin of the cheliped palm has a carina. The anterior lobe of the antero-lateral margins of the carapace is not separated by a hiatus from the exorbital angle. The dorsal surface of the carapace is smooth and naked, with the regions convexed and feebly indicated; the antero-lateral margins have a rounded anterior lobe, followed by three slightly projecting teeth. The chelipeds have an acute crest, hardly raised, on the whole or part of the superior margin of the palm; the black colouration on the fixed finger of the male does not extend onto the palm. The ambulatory legs are relatively narrow; the merus of P5 is 2.5 times longer than broad and has a feeble crest on the superior margin. The carapace is less than one and a half times broader than long. The chelipeds have a noticeably wide palm (width equal to 0.70 the length) and short fingers; the inferior margin of the palm is convex. The chelipeds have the carina on the superior margin of the palm continued as far as the articulation with the dactylus and the one on the inferior margin is well defined; the palm is noticeably globose and the fixed finger is very short. The carpus and external face of the cheliped palm of the male have rugosities and punctations; the palm width is equal to 2.3 times the length of the fixed finger. The first pleopod of the male is identical to that of glaber. (Serène, 1984)
Type locality: East Indies.
Range: South Africa - Port St. Johns, off Port Stepstone (Barnard, 1950); Mozambique - Delagoa Bay (Barnard, 1950); Kenya - Mombasa and Ras Iwatine (Serène, 1984); Madagascar - Nosy Bé (Serène, 1984); Seychelles (Rathbun, 1911); Cargados Carajos Islands (Rathbun, 1911); Mauritius (H. Milne Edwards, 1834, Bouvier, 1915b); Andaman Islands (Alcock, 1898); Cocos Islands; Japan - Amami-Oshima (Sakai, 1965c), Amami-shoto and Ishigaki-jima (Sakai, 1976a); Indonesia - Ambon (de Man, 1887d); Fiji or Tongatabu (Dana, 1852).