Proceedings of the Geological Society 20 June 1866, p591-592
NOTE on a NEW SPECIES of RANINA (R. porifera) from the Tertiary STRATA of Trinidad By HENRY WOODWARD, F.G.S., and F.Z.S.
A SPECIMEN of a Crustacean placed in my hands for examination by my friend Mr. R. Lechmere Guppy, from the Tertiary
formation of Trinidad, proves to be a portion of the dorsal surface of the carapace of a Brachyurous Decapod-nearly
approaching the Anomura-belonging to the subsection Notopoda and the genus Ranina.
The species of this genus (which was established by Lamarck in 1801) are not only most singular in form, but they
are of special interest to the paleontologist as occurring in the Nummulitic Lime-stone of Bavaria, Austria and
Italy, Asia Minor, Scinde, and the West Indies (Trinidad), and also in the Oligocene of Germany and the Miocene
of Turin. Nor has the genus now disappeared; for at the present day it is represented by the Ranina dentata of
Latreille, which is found living in the Sandwich Islands, the Moluccas, the Mauritius, and Japan (De Haan, Siebold's
'Fauna Japonica,' 1833, p.139, t. 34 & 35), whilst a nearly allied genus, the Raninoides, Edw., is found living
in the Philippine Islands and Trinidad, having been collected in this latter locality by Mr. Guppy.
The following is the list of all the Species known to the author: -
RANINA
1. Aldrovani, Ranz (Mem. di Storia nat. Dec. 1, 1820, p.73, t. 5).
Lower Eocene Nummulitic formation. Kressenberg, Valdenega, and Madugi d'Auzago.
2. Tchihatcheffi, d'Arch. (Progr. de la Geol. iii. p.303). Nummulitic formation. Asia Minor.
3. Marestiana, Konig (p. 20, taf 5. fig. 1, 2). Nummulitic formation. Kressnberg and environs of Verona.
4. Haszlinsski, Reuss (Foss. Krabben, p. 22, t. 4. f 4, 5). Upper Eocene? Eperies, Hungary.
5. speciosa, Munster, sp. (Munst. Beit. zur Petrefact. iii. p. 24, t. 2. f. 1-3). Oligocene. Bunde.
6. oblonga, Munster, sp. (1. c. p.24, t. 2. f. 4). Oligocene. Ebenda.
7.palmea, Sismonda (Acad. Leop. Crest. Foss. Piemonte; t. 3. f. 1). Miocene. Colle di Torino.
8. sp. (Reuss, Foss. Krabben, p. 21, t. s.f. 3, 4). Nummulitic. Environs of Vicenza.
9. sp. Nummulitic formation. Kurachee, Scinde. Collected by Major W. E. Baker. (In British Museum.)
10. porifera, H. W. Tertiary. Trinidad. R. L. Guppy, Esq.
11. dentata, Latr. (De Haan, 'Fauna Japonica,' 1833, p. 139, t. 34 & 35). Living. Japan, &C.
The Raninae are all burrowing forms of Crustecea, living for the most part in deep water, buried in sand or mud
which their limbs are most admirably adapted.
Unfortunately none of the appendages are preserved in the Specimen under consideration; but all the species of
this genus are curiously sculptured upon the dorsal surface of their carapaces, and this ornamentation is extremely
characteristic of the group. It consists of irregular transverse pectinated ridges, sometimes interspersed with
small punctuations, the ridges being more or less curved and intercalating with one another.
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