Amazighopsidae, a new family of decapod macruran astacideans from the late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) of Gara Sbaa, Southeastern Morocco

We investigate a new decapod macruran discovered in deposits identified at the top of Gara Sbaa slope, located in SE Morocco, along the “Hamada des Kem Kem”, close to the Algerian border. These fossiliferous levels are known in the literature as part of the Late Cretaceous Kem Kem beds. We report the new family Amazighopsidae, created to accommodate Amazighopsis cretacica n. gen., n. sp. Indeed, some morphological characters, such as a short rostrum with the serrate upper margin, cervical and antennal grooves not forming the characteristic W-shaped pattern, the telson without diaeresis, lateral margins of the telson with one movable median spine and two movable distal spines, and the uropodal exopod without diaeresis, are so peculiar and unique to justify the erection of the new family tentatively ascribed to the infraorder Astacidea.