Laurentaeglyphea, a new genus for the second recent species of Glypheid recently discovered. (Crustacea Decapoda Glypheidae)

In 1975, a recent member of a large group of Crustacea Decapoda was described as Neoglyphea inopinata Forest & de Saint Laurent, until now only known as fossils and presumed extinct since the Eocene. The only known specimen had been collected in the Philippine waters, in 1908, at a depth of 200 m. During the next years, three oceanographical expeditions gave more adult specimens, allowing complete study of the species. From its morphology, it appeared that the status attributed to glypheids in the past in the classification of Decapoda Crustacea was quite erroneous. This group, until then considered as related to Palinurids (rock lobsters) was in fact much closer to Astacids (lobster, crayfish, etc.). In 1982, N. inopinata was recorded from the other side of Equator, from the Timor Sea. In October 2005, a second living species of glypheid was discovered southwest of New Caledonia. It was named Neoglyphea neocaledonica B. Richer de Forges, 2006. However, important and significant differences set apart the two species, especially the ornamentation of the cephalothorax, the conformation of the cephalic part and the proportions of epistom and thoracic appendages, being much more robust. It seems justified to establish, for the more recently described species, a new genus, Laurentaeglyphea, much closer to fossil forms.