Preliminary Desecriptions of 25 New Decapod Crustaceans from the Middle Eocene of the Carolinas, U.S.A.

Abstract

Twenty-three genera, 14 new, representing 12 families and comprising 25 new species of decapod crustaceans, are described from the middle Eocene Castle Hayne and Santee limestones of North and South Carolina. Of the nine existing genera, members of five, "Paguristes," Cyrtorhina, Lophoranina, Calappilia, and Titanocarcinus, had been reported previously from the Americas. The new taxa are: "Paguristes wheeleri" (Diogenidae); Albunea hahnae, the first American fossil species of the genus (Albuneidae ); Ameridromia, type species A. hyneorum, and Dromidia bedetteae, the first fossil record for the latter genus (Dromiidae); Prohomola katunai, the first record of the genus outside of Japan (Homolidae); Cyrtorhina fuss eli, the first named American species of this genus, Lophoranina raynorae, and L. rossi (Raninidae); Titanodorippe, type species T. eocenica, the largest known member of the Dorippinae (Dorippidae); Calappilia sitzi, Eriosachila, type species E. petiti, Matutites, type species M. anthonyae, and Pseudohepatiscus, type species P marinoi (Calappidae); Wilsonimaia, type species W. ethelae, and W. schneiderorum (Majidae); Santeecarcinus, type species S. harmatuki, and Sarahcarcinus, type species S . campbellorum (Cancridae); Acantholambrus, type species A. baumi (Parthenopidae); Viacarcinus, type species V. druidi, the first fossil eumedonid and the first fossil or Recent eumedonid to be recorded from the Americas (Eumedonidae); Eocarpilius, type species E. carolinensis, Eohalimede, type species E. walleri, Laeuzcarcinus dockeryi, the first record for the genus out side of Hungary and the first American species of the genus, Santeella, type species S. lillyae, Santeexanthus, type species S. wardi, and Titanocarcinus purdyi (Xanthidae). The assemblage, as a whole, has greater affinities with the faunas of the Eocene of Hungary, Italy, and Spain than with known American Eocene faunas.