Berhampur: Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recorded a pebble crab species, Lyphira ngankee, for the first time in Indian waters, marking a significant addition to the country’s marine biodiversity.Four specimens of the leucosiid crab, one male and three females, were collected in 2023 from Bahabalpur fish landing centre in Balasore district. The species was earlier known to be found only in the South China Sea.Following detailed examination and taxonomic analysis at the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre (EBRC) of ZSI in Gopalpur, Ganjam district, the researchers confirmed that the specimens belonged to Lyphira ngankee, a species not previously reported from India. The findings have been published in the latest issue of Nauplius, the journal of the Brazilian Crustacean Society.Often referred to as nut or pebble crabs due to their resemblance to small pebbles, these crabs are typically found in sandy and silty substrates of inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones, indicating a preference for soft-bottom marine habitats, said Anil Mohapatra, senior scientist and in-charge of EBRC, who is the lead author of the study.The species can be identified by a combination of morphological features, including two prominent frontal spines on the carapace, well-developed tubercles across the carapace surface, petal-shaped maxillipeds, a slender male gonopod with a blunt tip, and a distinct tooth on the sixth abdominal segment, said co-author Sandeep Kumar Mohapatra.Lyphira ngankee was originally described from South China. “The present record represents the first report of the species beyond its type locality, thereby expanding its known geographical distribution,” said another co-author, Chitrak Dey. The researchers said further studies are required to better understand the ecology, distribution and biology of the species.
