Eulimnadia mauritiana (Guérin, 1837) (Fig 3 D-I; 4A-C)

Limnadia mauritiana Guérin, 1837: 5, tab. 21, figs 1-11. — Simon 1886: 456, pl. 7, fig. 2. — Brtek 1997: 57.

Eulimnadia mauritiana – Daday de Deés 1926: 535, fig.133.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Mauritius Island.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Mauritius. “Île de France” with no further information (first French name of Mauritius Island), Desjardins,> 100 eggs (MNHN-Bp332);> 100 eggs (MNHN-Bp333);> 100 eggs (MNHN-Bp334).

RANGE. — This species is known from the type locality only.

EGG MORPHOLOGY

Numerous eggs are present under the carapace and in the bottom of the bottle.Twisted eggs with cluster of lobed, rounded, wide ridges, delimiting narrow furrows. Ridge intersections of different clusters bearing prominent rounded projections. The egg external wall is abundantly and homogeneously spongy (Fig. 4D, E). Average matureegg maximum length (lobe to lobe) is 221.6 µm (n = 5, SD = 19.4 µm).

REMARKS

Daday de Deés (1926) description “Ova breviter fusiformes, forma structuraque membranae speciei Limnadia lenticularis (L.) similibus” is compatible with our results. This is the first described species in the genus Eulimnadia . Its egg morphology is unique to Eulimnadia, though Eulimnadia astraova Belk, 1989 eggs have some similarities but the projections are larger and conical.