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Issue: Vol. 5787 No. 3: 8 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.3.9
Page range: 572-584
Abstract views: 191
PDF downloaded: 12

Redescription of Austinixa leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) and synonymy of A. roblesi Palacios Theil & Felder, 2020, with an updated identification key to the genus

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE; Departamento de Oceanografia; Museu de Oceanografia Petrônio Alves Coelho. Av. Arquitetura; s/n; Cidade Universitária; 50740-550; Recife; Pernambuco; Brazil
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE; Departamento de Oceanografia; Museu de Oceanografia Petrônio Alves Coelho. Av. Arquitetura; s/n; Cidade Universitária; 50740-550; Recife; Pernambuco; Brazil
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE; Departamento de Oceanografia; Museu de Oceanografia Petrônio Alves Coelho. Av. Arquitetura; s/n; Cidade Universitária; 50740-550; Recife; Pernambuco; Brazil
Museu de Paleontologia Plácido Cidade Nuvens – MPPCN; Universidade Regional do Cariri – URCA; Crato; Ceará; Brazil
Universidad de Tarapacá – UTA; Facultad de Ciencias; Centro de Estudios Marinos y Limnológicos; Av. General Velásquez; 1775; Arica; Chile
Crustacea American coast Brazil intertidal symbiont synonymy western Atlantic

Abstract

A comprehensive redescription of the pinnotherid crab, Austinixa leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997), is presented. The original description of this species is brief and supported by low-resolution illustrations, limiting its diagnostic utility. Here, we provide an updated and detailed redescription based on the holotype and additional material from Alagoas, Brazil. All diagnostic structures are fully illustrated. Examination of the holotype and paratypes of A. roblesi Palacios Theil & Felder, 2020, shows that these specimens agree with the holotype of A. leptodactyla in all key morphological traits. No consistent or diagnostic characters were detected that would support their separation as distinct taxa. Based on the currently available evidence, A. roblesi is here regarded as a junior synonym of A. leptodactyla. An updated identification key to the species of Austinixa is also provided.

 

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How to Cite

Oliveira, A., Souza, P.R.C.D., Souza-Filho, J.F., Santana, W. & Hernáez, P. (2026) Redescription of Austinixa leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) and synonymy of A. roblesi Palacios Theil & Felder, 2020, with an updated identification key to the genus. Zootaxa, 5787 (3), 572–584. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.3.9