Revisão taxonômica do gênero Speocarcinus stimpson, 1859 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae), com a descrição de uma nova espécie

Abstract

This review was based on the taxonomic study of collections of specimens belonging to the genus Speocarcinus Stimpson, 1859, deposited at the Museum of Zoology, University of São Paulo (MZUSP), Department of Oceanography, Federal University of Pernambuco (DOUFPE) and the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM). All species (S. amazonicus Brandão, Tavares & Coelho-Filho, 2010, S. carolinensis Stimpson, 1859, S. lobatus Guinot, 1969, S. granulimanus Rathbun, 1894, S. meloi D’Incao & Silva, 1991, S . monotuberculatus Felder & Rabalais, 1986 and S. spinicarpus Guinot, 1969) currently assigned to the genus were studied, except the fossil species S. berglundi Tucker, Feldmann & Powell, 1994. The present study enabled to correct identification errors, faults and inaccuracies in descriptions and diagnoses of species. Upon completion of this work Speocarcinus includes nine species: S. berglundi, S. amazonicus, S. carolinensis, S. lobatus, S. granulimanus, S. meloi, S. monotuberculatus, S. spinicarpus and Speocarcinus sp. n. Speocarcinus amazonicus and Speocarcinus sp. n. comes from the brazilian coast, and has been mistakenly attributed to S. carolinensis. The geographical distribution of S.carolinensis is restricted to the region between North Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico and West Indies, not happening in Brazil so far. Currently two endemic species occur in Brazil: S. meloi and Speocarcinus sp. n. And one of them, S. meloi, has expanded its geographic north, occurring in Alagoas, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.