Cherax phing Lukhaup, Eprilurahman & Rintelen, 2024, n. sp.

Cherax phing n. sp. Figures 11–14. Material examined. Holotype: male (MZB Cru 5795), under rocks and among roots and in debris along banks of unnamed creek of the Kali Ombak River drainage basin, West Papua, Indonesia. Coll. Jumrah Sukawati, Ripa Maricel Nicolae, and local people. January, 2020. GPS (1 ◦ 02 ′ 41.8 ′′ S, 132 ◦ 15 ′ 51.9 ′′ E). Crayfish samples sent to us by KKCrayfish in Jakarta. Allotype: female (MZB Cru 5796), same data as holotype. Paratypes: six males, four females (MZB Cru 5797); four males, three females (ZMB 33781); same data as holotype. Diagnosis. Carapace surface smooth; three bigger spines and one small posterior to cervical groove on lateral carapace present. Eyes large, pigmented. Eyestalk slightly narrower than cornea. Rostrum lance-shaped with elevated, thickened margins, non-setose. Rostral margins with three prominent teeth on one side and two on the other. Posterior extensions of the rostral margins prominent. Postorbital ridges prominent with one acute spine at anterior terminus. Uncalcified patch on lateral margin of chelae of adult male, white, translucent. Propodal cutting edge with very few short setae in posterior part and one larger tubercle. Chelae dark blue, becoming whitish pale to creamy in the lateral part. Fixed finger and dactyl with hooked dark orange tips anteriorly. Dorsolateral margins of chelae slightly elevated in posterior third, same color as chelae. Other walking legs blueish, becoming creamy-blue posteriorly. Carapace blueish to green-creamy, and pleon blue-greenish with horizontal creamy bands. Description of male holotype (Figures 11 and 12A–C). Body and eyes pigmented. Eyes not reduced, rather large; cornea globular, darkly pigmented, nearly as long as eyestalk; eyestalk slightly narrower than cornea. Body subovate, slightly compressed laterally. Pleon narrower than cephalothorax (width 25.7 mm and 28.6 mm, respectively). Rostrum (Figure 12C) broad in shape, reaching end of ultimate antennular peduncle and about two times as long as wide (width 6.8 mm at base, length 13.05 mm). Margins slightly elevated, continuing in rostral carinae on carapace, almost straight in basal part, distally tapering towards apex. Lateral rostral margin bearing three prominent teeth in distal half on one side and two on the other side, pointing upwards at angle of approximately 45 ◦. A few scattered short hairs present between the distal teeth and the acumen. Acumen with anteriorly orientated spine. Rostral carinae extending as slight elevation posteriorly on carapace terminating at ending of postorbital ridges. Postorbital ridges well developed, terminating in spiniform tubercle anteriorly, fading at half of occipital carapace length, posteriorly. Postorbital ridges about one-sixth of CL. Cervical and branchiocardiac grooves distinct, non-setose; three small spines and one small tubercle present. Carapace surface smooth; ventrolateral margins rounded, slightly elevated. Areola length, 21.7 mm; narrowest width, 10.3 mm. Length of areola 34.3% of total length of carapace (63.1 mm). Sparsely pitted. Scaphocerite broadest at posterior third, convex in distal part, becoming narrower in basal part; thickened lateral margin terminating in corneous spine, slightly overreaching ultimate segment of antennular peduncle. Right scaphocerite 15.0 mm long and 5.1 mm wide. Rounded inner margin strongly covered by setae. Antennulae and antennae typical for genus. Antennae slightly longer than body. Antennular peduncle slightly overreaching acumen; antennal peduncle slightly overreaching tip of apex of scaphocerite. Antennal protopodite smooth, no spine, with row of hairs on inner margin; basicerite with one lateral and one ventral spine. Mouthparts typical for the genus. Epistome with subcordiform cephalic lobe anteriorly bearing lanceolate cephalomedian projection constricted at base. Lateral margins of lobe not thickened; each lateral margin with two groups of 10–12 tubercles separated by the smooth central part. Central part smooth, not pitted, excavate. First pereopods equal in form, chela gaping. Right chela 65.0 mm long, 12.7 mm high, and 26.5 mm wide. Left chelae (Figure 12A,B) 65.1 mm long and 13.1 mm high, 25.9 mm wide, strongly compressed. Fingers shorter than palm (right dactylus 21.5 mm long). Dactylus broad at base (11.6 mm), tapering slightly towards tip. Tip with sharp, corneous, hooked tooth pointing outwards at an angle of about 45 ◦. Cutting edge of dactyl with continuous row of 9–10 small granular teeth and 1 slightly larger tooth at middle of cutting edge. Ventral and dorsal surface of movable finger smooth with scattered punctuation. No setae present. Fixed finger smooth, scattered punctuation, triangular, merging gradually into palm, ending in sharp, corneous tip. Tips of fingers slightly cross when fingers clasp. Upper surface of palm practically smooth, slightly pitted, more densely pitted at margins. Fixed finger broader than dactyl at base (13.4 mm). Very few scattered short setae present in posterior ventral part of fixed finger, reaching from base to about one-third of fixed finger. Cutting edge of fixed finger with row of 4–5 rather small granular teeth at posterior half and 1 larger one at mid-length. Outer lateral margin of chelae with swollen soft and uncalcified patch (37.7 mm on the right chelae and 40.7 mm on the left chelae). Row of 9–10 mesial granules at dorsolateral margin. Dorsolateral margins elevated in the posterior third. Dorsal surface of carpus (21.3 mm) smooth, with slight excavation in middle part and with a well-developed mesial carpal spine. Ventral carpal surface distal margins slightly elevated, non-setose and with fovea; proxilateral margin with well-developed ventral carpal spine and a prominent ventromesial carpal spine oriented at an angle of approximately 45 ◦. Merus (31.3 mm) laterally depressed in basal part; surface smooth; small dorsal meral spine present. Inner ventrolateral margin with 8–9 small granules; three ventral meral spines present, one at mid-length, other in middle of anterior part, and third on distal ventrolateral inner margin. Ischium (17.0 mm) smooth with one to two small spines at ventrolateral inner margin. Second pereopods reaching anteriorly to approximately corneus spine of scaphocerite. Finger (7.5 mm) slightly longer than palm (4.6 mm), of same depth. A few scattered short setae present on dactyl and fixed finger. Cutting edge of fixed finger and carpus with row of dense, short setae. Propodus, 15.3 mm. Carpus, 12.0 mm, smooth, slightly pitted, slightly longer than propodus. Merus (20.4 mm) 1.7 times longer than carpus. Ischium (10.0 mm) about half as long as merus. Third pereopods overreaching second by length of finger of second pereopods. Fingers shorter than palm. Fourth pereopods slightly overreaching distal margin of scaphocerite. Dactylus with corneous tip. Short scattered setae present. Propodus (13.0 mm) more than 3 times as long as dactylus (4.0 mm), 1.6 times as long as carpus (8.0 mm); somewhat flattened, with many stiff setae on lower margin. Merus just slightly longer than propodus. Fifth pereopods similar to fourth, slightly shorter. Dorsal surface of pleon smooth, with scattered pits; abdominal segments (3–5) with short setae present on caudal margins of segment. Telson with posterolateral spines; dense short setae present in posterior third. Posterior margins setose. Uropodal protopod with two distal spines on mesial lobe. Exopod of uropod with transverse row of posteriorly directed diminutive spines ending in one more prominent spine, posteriorly directed on outer margin of mesial lobe. Terminal half of exopod with small spines and short hairs, slightly corrugated. Endopod of uropod smooth. Short, scattered hairs present on posterior third of dorsal exopod. Posterolateral spine on outer margin present. Second spine on medial dorsal surface present, directed posteriorly. Description of female allotype (Figure 13). Chela of first pereopods equal, 2.7 times as long as broad (30.0 mm and 10.9 mm, respectively). No soft patch in distal lateral margin of the chelae of females observed (n = 18). Mesial margin of palm slightly elevated, forming slender serrated ridge with row of 7–8 small granular teeth. Cutting edge of dactylus with 7–8 rather small granular teeth. Cutting edge of fixed finger with 10–11 small granules. Small scattered short setae visible along ventral cutting edges of chelae, denser and longer in ventral posterior area. Tips of fingers slightly cross when fingers clasp, not gaping. Cervical groove distinct, non-setose. Pleon just slightly wider than cephalothorax (widths 19.3 mm and 18.3 mm, respectively). Same color pattern as in males. Size. The biggest male examined is the paratype with a carapace length of 75.5 mm and a total length of 160 mm; the holotype male has a total length of 136.4 mm, and the other animals have a total length of between 78.5 mm and 139.5 mm; the allotype has a carapace length of 42.6 mm and a total length of 94.0 mm (n = 18). Color. The living animals (Figure 14A–C) are colored as follows. Chelae dark blue, becoming whitish pale to creamy in the lateral part. Fixed finger and dactyl with hooked dark orange tips anteriorly. Soft patch creamy-whitish. Dorsolateral margins of chelae slightly elevated in the posterior third, same color as chelae. Other walking legs blueish, becoming creamy-blue posteriorly. Carapace blueish to green-creamy, and pleon blue-greenish with horizontal creamy bands. Distal margin of tail fan brownish-red to orange. Females: same color as males, sometimes less intense. Some individuals show less bluegreen on the carapax and pleon and are more creamy colored. Molecular phylogenetic results. C. phing n. sp. is part of a weakly supported clade also comprising C. gherardii, C. woworae, C. boesemani, C. pulcher, and C. wagenknechtae (Figure 6). This clade is a sister group to a highly supported clade comprising C. warsamsonicus, C