Majella brevipes

Ortmann, 1893

As Ortmann's original description is brief and his figure is too schematic to recognize the features of this crab, author's supplementary notes and figures are reproduced herewith.
According to Ortmann's figure, the carapace is covered with sharp spinules, while in the present specimens, it is covered with tubercles of various sizes, the tips of which are rather rounded and furnished with coarse hairs. The rostral spines are figured by Ortmann as having one accessory spinule on the outer border, but in the present specimens they are armed with two or three accessory ones. The supraocular eave is very thick, its margin spinulated, and its posterior end sharply toothed. The intercalated spine is distinct and the postorbital one very strong, serrated and haired. Of the marginal spines of the carapace, three belong to the hepatic border, the middle one of which is largest, and five belong to the branchial border, the last one of which is deviated inside the branchial area. There are several spines on the posterior border, of which one median and two lateral are prominent. On the dorsal surface, the following spinules are remarkably prominent: 1) There are on the gastric region, two side by side in front of the median posterior one. 2) One, prominent and surrounded by a number of spinules, is in the centre of cardiac region and on each of the branchial regions.
Chelipeds are just like those of the genus Eurynome, that is, each segment is prismatic and Lambrus-like; the merus is armed with a row of three or four spines on the posterior border and two or three on the dorsal surface; the carpus has a large spine near the outer distal portion and its dorsal surface scattered with three or four tiny spines; the propodus is slender and its upper inner edge armed with two or three spines, its outer border armed with two or three spines; and the fingers are slender and slightly deflexed against the long axis of the propodus.
The external maxillipeds have the merus strongly produced at the outer anterior corner. The abdomen of both sexes is composed of seven distinct segments, and the first pleopod of male is rather broad and its extremity spatulated.
The ambulatory legs are rather short and somewhat depressed, thickly covered with velvety tomentum. Each segment is unarmed excepting the merus of the last pair, which is set with three tubercles on the dorsal surface. (Sakai, 1976)

Type locality: Sagami Bay, Japan.
Range: Mozambique Channel (Griffin, 1974); Somalia - off Cape Guardafui (Griffin, 1974); Japan - Sagami Bay (Ortmann, 1893, Sakai, 1965b, 1976).

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