New species of reef spider crabs of the genus Schizophroida Sakai, 1933 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majidae) from the Western Pacific
Abstract
Prior to the present study, the spider crab genus Schizophroida Sakai, 1933, included only the type species, S. hilensis Rathbun, 1906 (described from Hawaii but apparently wide-ranging in the western Pacific), and two other Pacific species, S. simodaensis Sakai, 1933 (Japan) and S. moai Ng & Boyko, 2017 (Easter Island). Outside of Hawaii, S. hilensis has been reported from the southwestern Pacific: Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Review of the southwestern Pacific material showed that Schizophroida from Australia and New Zealand belongs to a separate species, and is described as new to science. The New Caledonian record is based on an incomplete juvenile female, which also appears to be new to science, but is not formally named pending collection of more complete specimens. A second new species of Schizophroida is also described from specimens collected from Taiwan and Guam. A key to the species of Schizophroida is provided.
