A new genus and species of freshwater crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the central Western Ghats, Kerala, India

A new genus and species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Kasargodia sheebaen. gen., n. sp., is described from the Ranipuram Hill Station in the central Western Ghats, India. This new genus is distinguished from Vanni Bahir & Yeo, 2007 and Travancoriana Bott, 1969 by several key features: the antennal article 4 is elongated, being notably longer than wide (as opposed to quadrate to subrectangular in Vanni and Travancoriana); the suborbital margin is almost smooth (rather than distinctly granular); the terminal and subterminal articles of the male first gonopod are not clearly demarcated by sutures (clearly separated in the other genera); the short male second gonopod (shorter than the male first gonopod) is relatively stout, with a short distal article that is not flagelliform (more slender, elongated, flagelliform distal article in the other genera); and the basal antennal article in the new genus is distinctly elongated, with a constricted median part (subquadrate in Vanni and more similar to the condition in Travancoriana). The relatively stout male second gonopod with a short distal article in Kasargodian. gen., is an unusual feature, shared with genera such as Barytelphusa Alcock, 1909, Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909, and Barusa Pati & Yeo, 2022. Unlike the new genus, the male first gonopod in these genera have the terminal and subterminal articles clearly demarcated by sutures.