The oldest record of galatheoid anomurans (Decapoda, Crustacea) from Normandy, northwest France

Abstract : Two galatheoid anomurans, Gastrosacus raboeufi n. sp. and G. sp., the earliest members of the genus Gastrosacus von Meyer, 1851 known to date, are recorded from upper Bathonian strata in Calvados (Normandy, France). In this respect, we consider the enigmatic Palaeomunidopsis moutieri Van Straelen, 1925 from the middle Bathonian of Giberville (Normandy) to be a nomen dubium. As far as carapace morphology of G. raboeufi n. sp. is concerned, we note that it reveals a number of primitive characters that are indicative of a close relationship with the Gastrodoridae amongst paguroid anomurans.