Abstract:
Frog crabs (Family Raninidae) are cryptic, burying marine brachyuran crabs adapted for inhabiting soft and sandy bottoms
across a wide bathymetric range of tropical to low-latitude temperate regions. The present account encompasses re-description
of Lysirude channeri from a depth range of 614–655 m in Bay of Bengal, India. Morphological examination of 76 specimens
agreed with earlier type descriptions in having two antero-lateral spines, but this contradicts with the specimens from the
South China Sea and off the Philippines. In addition, some specimens from the present study revealed the presence of two
carpal spines instead of one described before. However, the genetic congruency of the collected specimens were inferred by
developing molecular marker viz. mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene sequences, representing the
first molecular data for Lysirude channeri. Phylogram and genetic distance data (up to 0.60%) justified the genetic congruency
of Lysirude channeri as well as the interspecific divergence (up to 15.2%) between Lysirude channeri and Lyreidus brevifrons.
Hence, the present study provides complete morphological and molecular data for re-describing the frog crab Lysirude
channeri and also delineates its speciation from other related brachyuran crabs.
