A new mud lobster of the genus Thalassina Latreille, 1806 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea: Thalassinidae) from marine seagrass beds in Dongsha (Pratas) Island, South China Sea

Abstract

A new species of the mud lobster genus Thalassina Latreille, 1806, is described and illustrated on the basis of a single female specimen from Dongsha (Pratas) Island, South China Sea. Thalassina pratas, new species, appears closest to T. spinosa Ngoc-Ho & de Saint Laurent, 2009, but its less spiny carapace immediately distinguishes the new species from T. spinosa. Thalassina anomala (Herbst, 1804) is also substantially similar to the new species, but the presence of spines on the cervical ridge on the carapace immediately separates the new species. The holotype of the new species was collected from subtidal seagrass beds in a fully marine lagoon, an unusual habitat for Thalassina, of which other species are seen in estuarine habitats or mangroves.