THE GENUS CORALAXIUS REDEFINED, WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF 2 NEW SPECIES(CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, AXIIDAE)

The genus Coralaxius is rediagnosed, and the type species C. nodulosus (Meinert, 1877), the holotype of which was found to be identical with C. abelei Kensley and Gore, 1982, is redescribed. The two new species of Coralaxius are described, viz. C. galapagensis from the Galapagos Islands, and C. indopacificus from Fiji and the Comoro Islands. On the basis of carapace, gill and appendage characters, it is concluded tha t C. indopacificus is more primitive than the other two species. The g enus is thought to have had a tethyan distribution, with the eastern P acific representative being cut off from the western Atlantic form wit h the raising of the Isthmus of Panama.