Abstract
The genus Ceratothoa Dana, 1852 is revised for South African waters and re-diagnosed. Ceratothoa retusa
(Schioedte & Meinert, 1883) is recorded from the eastern coast, and Ceratothoa africanae sp. n. and
C. famosa sp. n. are described; C. imbricata (Fabricius, 1775) and C. trigonocephala (Leach, 1818), are
redescribed, revised and excluded from the South African fauna. Ceratothoa africanae sp. n. can be distinguished
by the stout body shape of the female; triangular cephalon with a pointed rostrum; short uropods
which do not extend past the pleotelson; large carinae on the pereopod basis; a broad pleon; and large
medial lobes on female pleopods. Ceratothoa famosa sp. n. is characterised by the long rectangular body
shape; pereonite 1 with a raised medial protrusion; narrow antenna with antennule article 1 expanded;
uropods which reach the posterior margin of the pleotelson; narrow rami on uropods; and no appendix
masculina on pleopod 2 of the male specimens.