Description of a new spider crab, Maja gracilipes, from the South China Sea, with notes on the taxonomic validity of M-brevispinosis Dai, 1981 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Majidae)

A new species of majid crab, Maja gracilipes, is described from the South China Sea. It is similar to M. confragosa Griffin & Tranter, 1986, described from the Kei Islands, Indonesia, but differs in proportions of the ambulatory legs, structure of the intercalated spine, third maxilliped, male abdomen, and male first pleopod. Maja brevispinosis Dal, 1981, is synonymised with M. compressipes (Miers, 1879).