Three New Records of Brachyuran Species (Crustacea: Decapoda) From Maharashtra, India, Central Eastern Arabian Sea

In the present study, three species of brachyuran crabs, Ocypode brevicornis H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Ocypodidae), Pilumnopeus convexus (Maccagno in Annali Del Museo Civico Di Storia Naturale Di Genova 59:171-186, 1936) (Pilumnidae) and Atergatis laevigatus A. Milne-Edwards, 1865 (Xanthidae), are reported for first time from Maharashtra, in India. The samples were collected from intertidal areas of sandy and rocky habitats from different regions of Maharashtra, India, Arabian Sea. The main characteristics to identify O. brevicornis are carapace size, anterolateral margins and gonopod shape, P. convexus-smooth carapace, bilobed frontal tooth and gonopods and A. laevigatus-carapace colour and size and gonopods. The range distribution record of these species will serve as useful information for investigators working on brachyuran taxonomy. The detailed taxonomic description, distribution and remarks of the species are illustrated and described in this communication.