from the East Coast of Africa With 2 Text-figures

ABSTRACT A new species of the galatheid Crustacea was taken from the east coast of Kenya, and is here described as Munida brucei sp. nov. The new species is allied to Munida africana Doflein et Balss, from which it differs in having no transverse row of spines on the second abdominal segment, and in having the cheliped strongly depressed and laterally strongly toothed, with fingers extremely longer than the palm. Through the courtesy of Dr. A. J. Bruce, I have been able to examine a speci-men of anomuran Crustacea belonging to the genus Munida of Galatheidae col-lected from off the east coast of Kenya. It originates from the collection made by RV "Manihine " of the East African Fisheries Research Organization, Kenya, and was carefully sorted out by Dr. Bruce. Very little is known of the galatheid fauna of the east African coast, only 7 species having been recorded so far as the genus Munida is concerned (Doflein & Balss, 1913; Barnard, 1926, 1950; Tirmizi, 1966). On examination the present specimen can neither be referred to the recorded species from East Africa nor identified with any of the Indo-Pacific species. The species is named after Dr. A. J. Bruce by whom this was first isolated. The type-specimen will be kept in the collection of the British Museum (Natural History). Munida brucei sp. nov