Morphological description of the red frog crab Ranina ranina Linnaeus, 1758 (Brachyura: Raninidae) from South Western Mindanao, Philippines
Dulce-Amor P. Matondo, Cesar G. Demayo
The red frog crab Ranina ranina collected from the marine waters of south western Mindanao, Philippines was characterized using morphological characters and line drawings. The species showed variations in the carapace color. The number of white spot patterns on the carapace are more pronounced among large size individuals. Antenna shape is setaceous. The feeding apparatus is covered by a large, straight, thick but flattened maxilliped with a short and narrow exopodite, two straight broad basal segments endopodites and three narrow distal segments medio-laterally located in the secondary basal segment folded downward perpendicular to the medio-lateral portion and concealed when resting. Sexual dimorphism was observed on the shapes of the fronto-anterior margin and rostral lobe, setal lining in the palmar area of the dactyl and anterior of the ventral aspect of the chela. Structural variations was also observed ventrally in the 3rd and fourth ventral pleomeres in males.
Dulce-Amor P. Matondo, Cesar G. Demayo. Morphological description of the red frog crab Ranina ranina Linnaeus, 1758 (Brachyura: Raninidae) from South Western Mindanao, Philippines. J Entomol Zool Stud 2015;3(2):251-256.