(Dana, 1852)
The front is not noticeably projecting. The carapace, chelipeds, sternal plastron and abdomen are smooth or granular or stippled but never sponge-like as in species of the subgenus Actites. The ambulatory legs are never with cristiform carinae on their anterior and posterior margins; they are smooth or granular and sometimes nodular. The ambulatory legs are shorter and more squarish; the merus of P4 is less than three times longer than broad. In adult males the extremity of the cheliped merus does not extend (or hardly) beyond the margin of the carapace. The first pleopod of the male is of a diverse shape but never terminates as a short rounded lobe; it is always furnished with more or less numerous setae, usually arranged in a row on one margin of the preapical part. The carapace, chelipeds and ambulatory legs have the surface irregularly or regularly granular, sometimes also punctate but always with a rugose aspect; the regions of the carapace are usually well indicated; 2M is always longitudinally divided, at least partially and very often entirely. On the dorsal surface of the carapace the region 2M is incompletely divided longitudinally and is U-shaped. The ambulatory legs are shorter and broader; the merus of P5 is less than 3 times longer than broad. The surface of the carapace is covered with small or very small granules giving it a slightly rugose aspect to the unaided eye. The granules on the carapace surface are larger and, although their size diminishes, are visible as far as the posterior margin of the carapace. The regions 1L+2L+3L and 4L+5L are separated by transverse furrows more narrow and less obvious. The adult male is violet-fawn coloured with white granules (visible with a hand-lens). (Serène, 1984)
Type locality: Samoa.
Range: Red Sea (A. Milne Edwards, 1865); Zanzibar (Lenz, 1905, Odhner, 1925); Tanzania - Dar es Salaam (Ortmann, 1894b); Mozambique (Stebbing, 1924); South Africa - Durban (Krauss, 1843); Ile Europa (Lenz, 1910); Madagascar - Nosy Fany (Serène, 1984); Iles Glorieuses (Serène, 1984); Réunion (A. Milne Edwards, 1862, 1865, Hoffmann, 1874); Mauritius (A. Milne Edwards, 1865, Alcock, 1898, Bouvier, 1915b, Michel, 1964); Seychelles - (Miers, 1884b), Coëtivy (Rathbun, 1911), Aldabra (Guinot, 1964b), Praslin (Serène, 1984); Muscat (Alcock, 1898); Maldives - Goidu, Goifurfehendu and Miladunmadulu (Borradaile, 1902b); Chagos Archipelago - Diego Garcia (Doflein, 1904), Salomon (Rathbun, 1911); Sri Lanka - Galle (Odhner, 1925); Andaman Islands (Alcock, 1898); Nicobar Islands (Odhner, 1925); Mergui Archipelago (Alcock, 1898); Christmas Islands (Odhner, 1925); West Sumatra - Simeuluë Island (Odhner, 1925); Japan - Ogasawara-shoto (Stimpson, 1907, Odhner, 1925), Hachijo-jima (Sakai, 1954), Okinawa-jima and Ishigaki-jima (Sakai, 1976a), Haha-jima, Ogasawara-shoto (Muraoka, 1998); Taiwan; China - Paracel Islands (Chen & Lan, 1978, Dai & Yang, 1991); Vietnam - Nha Trang (Serène & Luom, 1960); Philippines - Zamboanga (Miers, 1886); Indonesia - Edam Island, Noordwachter Island and Ambon (de Man, 1887d), Ambon (Ortmann, 1894b), Ternate (de Man, 1902a), Makassar and Batjan (Odhner, 1925); New Britain - Talasea and Ralum (Odhner, 1925); Solomon Islands - Bougainville and Buka (Odhner, 1925); Australia - Cape Grenville (Haswell, 1882c); Palau (Takeda & Hayashi, 1973, Takeda, 1976a); Caroline Islands - Ponape (Odhner, 1925); Wake Island (Dana, 1852); Marshall Islands - Jaluit, Ebon and Likiep (Odhner, 1925); Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) - Arari, Tamana, Tapeteuea, Aranuka, and Apamama (Odhner, 1925); (Line Islands) - Palmyra (Edmondson, 1923); Ellice Islands - Nukulailai, Nukufetau, and Nine (Odhner, 1925); Fiji (Alcock, 1898, Odhner, 1925); Samoa (Dana, 1852, A. Milne Edwards, 1865, Alcock, 1898, Odhner, 1925); Hawaii - (Muraoka, 1998), Honolulu and Laysan (Rathbun, 1906), Honolulu (Odhner, 1925); Tahiti (Heller, 1865, Odhner, 1925, Forest & Guinot, 1961); Tuamotu Archipelago - (Forest & Guinot, 1961), Waiateke (Nobili, 1907), Makemo (Rathbun, 1907).