(H. Milne Edwards, 1834)
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 projecting granules more or less irregularly grouped together one against the other giving a distinct rugose appearance to the unaided eye. The ambulatory legs are uniformly granular but not nodular; the teeth on the antero-lateral margins of the carapace are rounded lobes that more or less project. On the internal branch of 2M there is an outline indicating incomplete separation from 2F. The regions of the carapace are elevated and separated by broad deep furrows; the part formed by the fusion of 2L+3L has a broad and deep notch on the antero-lateral margin. The granules are irregularly arranged and compacted against each other giving a punctate and rugose aspect. The carapace and legs, in life, are a dark cardinal purple with the extremities of the ambulatory legs white. (Serène, 1984)
Type locality: unknown.
Range: Red Sea - (Miers, 1884b, Laurie, 1915, Klunzinger, 1913, Ramadan, 1936), Abulat (Guinot, 1964b); Gulf of Aden - Obock (Nobili, 1906), Djibouti and Aden (Odhner, 1925), Aden (Guinot, 1964b); Mozambique - Delagoa Bay (Barnard, 1950); South Africa - Natal; Madagascar - Toliara, Nosy Iranja, and Fort Dauphin (Serène, 1984); Iles Glorieuses (Serène, 1984); Réunion (A. Milne Edwards, 1862); Mauritius (Richters, 1880, Odhner, 1925); Maldives - Hulule and Goidu (Borradaile, 1902b); Chagos Archipelago - (Ward, 1942b), Peros, Coin (Rathbun, 1911); Sri Lanka - Galle (Odhner, 1925); Andaman Islands (Alcock, 1898); Nicobar Islands (Odhner, 1925); Cocos Islands (Alcock, 1989); Christmas Islands (Calman, 1909); Japan - Tosa Okinoshima (Sakai, 1939), Tosa Okinoshima, Ashizuri-misaki, Amami-Oshima, Yoron-jima, and Ishigaki-jima (Sakai, 1976a); Taiwan; China - Hainan Island (Dai & Yang, 1991); Philippines - Luzon (Odhner, 1925); Palau (Takeda, 1976a); Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) - Arari, Tamana, Aranuka, and Apamama (Odhner, 1925); Samoa; Hawaiian Islands - Honolulu and Laysan (Rathbun, 1906), Honolulu and Hilo (Odhner, 1925); Tahiti (Ortmann, 1893); Tuamotu Archipelago - Fakarava (Rathbun, 1907); shallow waters.