Kani maranjandu | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Order: | Decapoda |
Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
Infraorder: | Brachyura |
Family: | Gecarcinucidae |
Genus: |
Kani Kumar, Raj & Ng, 2017 |
Species: | K. maranjandu
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Binomial name | |
Kani maranjandu Kumar, Raj & Ng, 2017
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Kani maranjandu is a species of tree crab first identified in 2017. [1] K. maranjandu has, to date, only been observed in the forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, India. [2] [3] As of 2021 [update], it is the only species in the genus Kani.
Kani maranjandu represents a newly discovered genus (Kani), named for the local Kani tribe. [2] The discoverers have placed the genus within the family Gecarcinucidae. [1]
Kani maranjandu is distinguished from other crabs of the family Gecarcinidae by its distinctive carapace and the structure of the male abdomen, as well as its very long walking legs. [1] [3] The species is entirely arboreal, relying on water held in small hollows of trees for survival. [3]
Kani maranjandu's type locality is the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in the Western Ghats. It is endemic to this area. [4]