Samples collected around Madagascar and La Réunion, which included seven species of the genus Heierocarpus, led to the re-examination of all the Heierocarpus (nine species) reported previously from the region. A new species, H. calmani, which had been confounded until now with H. woodmasoni Alcock, 1901, is described. The occurence of H. lepidus de Man, 1917, of which the specimens collected in the region had been identified wrongly as H. fricarinatus Alcock and Anderson, 1894, is proved. The re-examination of the type of H. unicarinaius Borradaile, 1915, only known specimen of this species, permits the completion of its description, but makes one wonder if this species really belongs to the genus Heterocarpus. Comparisons between specimens from Madagascar and La Réunion and specimens from the West-Pacific and from the Atlantic permit the consideration of variations associated with geographical areas and depths of sampling for H. dorsalis Bate, 1888, H. ensifer A. Milne Edwards, 1881, H. laevigaius Bate, 1888, H. lepidus de Man, 1917, and H. sibogae de Man, 1917. These comparisons also allow better definition of the features separating H. lepidus from H. gibbosus Bate, 1888, and H. iricarinatus. A careful examination of the (( ensifer )) complex permits the description of two new species, H . aniacula and H. huyasliii, and the elevation to specific rank of H . parvispina, considered, until now, to be a subspecies of H. ensifer. On the other hand, H. tricarinaius is split into two subspecies, H. tricarinaius iricarinaius, found in the Indian Ocean, and H. [ricarinatus angustus subsp. nov., found in the ORSTOM Fonds Documentaire No : C%~CAA Cote : B I
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