THE RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY 2007 THE RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY 2007 Supplement No. 16: 309–354 Date of Publication: 31 Dec.2007 © National University of Singapore THE GECARCINUCID FRESHWATER CRABS OF SOUTHERN INDIA (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA: BRACHYURA) Mohomed M. Bahir The Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, 95 Cotta Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka Darren C. J. Yeo Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA Email:
[email protected] ABSTRACT. – The freshwater crab fauna of the two southernmost Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are reviewed based on the findings of a recent field survey and re-examination of relevant type material. Nine genera and twenty-three species of gecarcinucid freshwater crabs are reported, including six new genera (Baratha, Lamella, Pilarta, Snaha, Vanni and Vela) and 10 new species (Baratha pushta, Baratha peena, Pilarta anuka, Snaha aruna, Travancoriana kuleera, Travancoriana charu, Vanni ashini, Vanni deepta, Vanni giri and Vela virupa). Four species previously regarded as junior subjective synonyms are recognised herein as valid species, namely, Lamella lamellifrons (Alcock), Vela pulvinata (Alcock), Vanni travancorica (Henderson) and Travancoriana convexa (Roux). Keys to the genera and species of southern Indian gecarcinucid freshwater crabs are provided. KEY WORDS. – Freshwater crab, southern India, Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Gecarcinucidae, taxonomy, new genera, new species. INTRODUCTION 11 species described in the period 1909–1969 have their type localities within the present-day states of Kerala and Tamil Field surveys of the Sri Lankan freshwater crab fauna Nadu, and our study has included the re-examination of the implemented through a collaboration between the Wildlife type material of these species.