Hoplophrys oatesii

Henderson, 1893

The carapace is subpyriform. The proportion of the length of the carapace to the distance between the external angle of the orbits is as 1.9 to 1. The proportion of the length of the carapace to breadth is as 1.4 to 1. The rostrum is strongly deflexed downwards, the rostral spines are well divergent. The supraorbital eave is not dilated. The preorbital spine is long, laminate and directed obliquely forwards. There is no intercalated spine. The postocular spine is not dilated and divided into two knobs at the tips. The eyestalk is short and armed with a small, acute spine on the anterior border near the cornea.
The gastric and the cardiac regions are elevated. The epibranchial lobes, which are situated on each side of the cervical suture, are provided with a large dentiform tubercle. There are ten spines in the gastric region, of which two spines are in the median line. The cardiac region rises into two small blunt tubercles transversely. The intestinal region is armed with two large tubercles transversely, directed obliquely backwards. The branchial region is armed with two long, stout teeth, of which one projects on the lateral margin.
The basal segment of the antenna is elongated and broadened basally, and armed with an acuminate spine at the antero-lateral angle which is visible from above. The third maxilliped has the ischium denticulated on the inner margin; the extero-lateral border of the merus is concave; its antero-lateral angle is little produced. The exognath is furnished with an acute tooth on the inner margin near the distal end.
The chelipeds are almost; equal and not so stout. The arm and the wrist are furnished with crest-like teeth irregularly on the upper borders. The fingers are denticulated on the inner margin. The immovable finger is fringed with long hairs on the lower surface.
The ambulatory legs are rather stout and have carinate teeth irregularly as in the arm and the wrist of chelipeds. The dactylus is hooked at the tip.
The abdomen of the male is seven-jointed. (Miyake, 1939)

Type locality: Gulf of Martaban.
Range: Red Sea; Gulf of Aqaba (Griffin & Tranter, 1974); Seychelles - Providence Islands and Amirante Islands (Rathbun, 1911); India - Ganjam Coast (Alcock, 1895a); Gulf of Martaban (Henderson, 1893, Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Japan -Kii Nagashima, Kii Minabe, Shimogusui and Amakusa (Sakai, 1976a), Kushimoto (Miyake, 1983), Tosashimizu and Kii Minabe (Muraoka, 1998); Sulu Archipelago - Jolo (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Palau (Miyake, 1939, Takeda, 1973d); Indonesia; eastern Australia - Moreton Bay (McCulloch, 1908, Griffin & Tranter, 1986a), Bubdaberg and Lizard Island, Queensland (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); New Caledonia - Nouméa (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Fiji; shallow waters.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)