Volume 26, Issue 78, July - December, 2025

Jonas bispinosus sp. nov. (Decapoda: Brachyura: Corystidae) a new sand crab from West Bengal, India

Parimita Chowdhury¹, Santanu Mitra^1♦

¹Crustacea Division, Zoological Survey of India, Fire Proof Spirit Building, 27 J. L. Nehru Road, Kolkata 700016, West Bengal, India

^♦Corresponding Author
Santanu Mitra, Crustacea Division, Zoological Survey of India, Fire Proof Spirit Building, 27 J. L. Nehru Road, Kolkata 700016, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT

Sand crabs of the genus Jonas represent an interesting component of subtidal benthic biodiversity. A new crab species, Jonas bispinosus sp. nov., from subtidal mudflats off Digha Mohana, West Bengal, India, is described based on adult males. It has a densely setose, granulated ovate carapace with ten lateral spines per side, including an elongated supraorbital spine; a bifid U-shaped rostrum, distinctive carapace granulation; paired curved spines on the fifth leg merus, and a uniquely twisted, triangular-tipped male first gonopod. Comparative assessment with all known congeners supports its recognition as a distinct species based on a unique combination of morphological characters, particularly ambulatory leg spination, carapace granulation, and rostral structure. The discovery of J. bispinosus sp. nov. increases the number of valid species in the genus to eight worldwide and represents the fourth species of Jonas recorded from India.

Keywords: Bay of Bengal, Corystidae, identification key, Jonas bispinosus sp. nov., sand crab

Species, 2026, 27(79), e3s3243

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Published: 09 February 2026