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Integrative taxonomy reveals a new cryptic species of Raphidopus Stimpson, 1858 (Decapoda, Anomura, Porcellanidae) from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Bing WANG, Yuhan WAN, Xuefeng FANG, Jian-Wen QIU & Dong DONG

en European Journal of Taxonomy 1048 (202) - Pages 202-222

Published on 09 April 2026

Raphidopus ciliatus Stimpson, 1858 is believed to be widely distributed across the Indo-West Pacific and has been reported along the entire coast of China. However, molecular and morphological analyses reveal the presence of a cryptic species in northern Chinese waters, described herein as R. xinzhengi Dong, Wan & Wang sp. nov. The COI sequences of the two species of Raphidopus show 8.7–9.0% divergence, higher than each intraspecific variation. The new species can be distinguished from R. ciliatus primarily by the arrangement of granules on the cheliped carpus, the length/width ratio of the cheliped carpus, and the length/width ratio of the merus of the first ambulatory leg. An updated key to the species of the genus Raphidopus is provided.


Keywords:

China seas, phylogeny, porcelain crab, taxonomy, West Pacific

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