Rüppell, 1830
This species closely resembles Micippa philyra, but the carapace appears somewhat more depressed. The pseudorostrum is deflexed at an angle of about 45°, and is, as in M. philyra, divided into four lobes, the median two being directed downwards and the lateral lobes, very acuminate at tip, projected outwards and backwards.
The intercalated spine is fused with the postocular lobe at the base, the latter being broad and truncate along the lateral border. On the antero-lateral borders, there are eight or nine broad teeth, two or three of which belong to the hepatic margin, and the others to the branchial margin; the posterior two or three are acuminate, the last one being most prominent and placed near the junction of the antero-lateral and postero-lateral borders. The postero-lateral borders are also armed with a few erect tubercles and the posterior border with two tubercles.
Basal segment of antenna is quite smooth, its antero-external prolongation is gently bilobate, only forming the ventral floor of the orbit, not defining the anterior floor as in Micippa philyra. The first movable segment of antenna is very broad and subovate.
The chelipeds are only indistinctly granulated under the lens. The wrist and palm are flecked with dark green colouration. The merus and carpus of ambulatory legs are subprismatic, their upper surface flattish and their anterior and posterior borders densely fringed with hairs. The upper surface of merus of these pairs is canaliculated along the anterior and posterior borders, that of wrist also deeply canaliculated in the median line. The propodus and dactylus are very slender. Last two pairs of legs are slender and not markedly depressed. (Sakai, 1938: 316)
Type locality: Red Sea.
Range: Red Sea - (Klunzinger, 1906), Gulf of Aqaba, Sinai Peninsula and Dahlak Archipelago (Griffin & Tranter, 1974); Kenya - Mombasa (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Mauritius (Richters, 1880, Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Pakistan - Buleji and Sonari (Tirmizi & Kazmi, 1991); Sri Lanka - Krusadai and Galle (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a), Hikkadowa (Tirmizi & Kazmi, 1991); Nicobar Islands (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Japan - Okinawa and Amami-Oshima (Stimpson, 1907), Shimoda, Nanki Shirahama and Nagasaki (Sakai, 1938a), Sagami Bay, Izu Peninsula, Kii Nagashima, Kii Minabe and Yoron-jima, Amami-shoto (Sakai, 1976a), Manazuru, Sagami Bay, Tosashimizu, and Takara-jima, Kagoshima Pref. (Muraoka, 1998); China - Paracel Island (Chen H., 1980b), Hainan Island and Paracel Islands (Dai & Yang, 1991); Philippines - Davao Gulf, Mindanao (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); Palau (Takeda, 1973d); Indonesia - Edam Island (de Man, 1887d), Ambon (Rathbun, 1910b), Java Sea, Great Sangir Island, Sula Besi, Ambon, Tanimbar, Kepulauan Kai, west coast of Saluwati, Biak, Manokwari Bay and north of Jayapura, Irian Jaya (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); New Caledonia - Poum (Takeda & Nunomura, 1976); Tonga - Tongatabu (Dana, 1852), Niuatoputapu (Griffin & Tranter, 1986a); intertidal to 45 m.