Anoplodactylus californicus Hall, 1912

León-Espinosa, Angel De, León-Gonzalez, Jesus Angel De & Gómez-Gutiérrez, Jaime, 2021, Pycnogonids from marine docks located along the west coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico, Zootaxa 4938 (2), pp. 151-195 : 183-184

Anoplodactylus californicus Hall, 1912

( Figs . 16 A–H; 17 A–J ; 18 A–I )

Anoplodactylus californicus Hall, 1912:91 . Hilton, 1939: 20; Child, 1992: 43, fig. 19; Chimenz-Gusso & Lattanzi, 2003: 254; Bamber & Takahashi, 2005: 4 ; Melzer et al., 2006: 238; M̹ller & Krapp, 2009: 90, fig. 48; Krapp & Viquez, 2011: 205.

Anoplodactylus portus Calman, 1927: 405–408 , fig. 103. Stock, 1975: 1052, fig. 41 b–e; Child, 1978: 133–144, figs. 1–4.

Anoplodactylus robustus Hilton, 1939: 28–29 .

Anoplodactylus californiensis Hedgpeth, 1941: 257 (key), pl. 11.

Anoplodactylus projectus Hilton, 1942d: 45–47 , fig. 3a–b.

Anoplodactylus carvalhoi Marcus, 1940: 40 ; Hedgpeth, 1948: 230–232, fig. 30e–g.

Material examined. 34 specimens: 10♀, 10³, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0074), Puerto Escondido Marine dock, Loreto, Baja California Sur, 25°48´52´´N, - 111°18´40´´W, 12/01/2013 ; 1³, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0075), same sampling location, 04/16/2011; 2♀, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0076), same sampling location, 18/02/2017; 1♀, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0077), Palmira Marine, La Paz, Baja California Sur, 24°11´05´´N, - 110°18´12´´W, 15/08/2011 ; 1♀, 1³, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0078), La Paz Marine, La Paz, Baja California Sur, 24°09´17´´N, - 117°19´31´´W, 07/01/2013 ; 3♀, 2³, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0079), same sampling location, 14/08/2011; 3♀, (UANL-FCB-PYC-NO-0080), same sampling location, 06/26/17 ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. Trunk completely segmented. Distal end of the cephalon straight ( Fig. 17 D ; Fig. 18 D ). Lateral processes, each with a tubercle on the dorsal surface. First pair separated from the second by more than its diameter. Second pair separated from the third by its own diameter. Third pair separated from the fourth by less than ½ its diameter ( Fig. 16 A–B; Fig. 17 D ; Fig. 18 D–E). Ocular tubercle conical ( Fig. 18 F ), located on the anterior cephalon, with four eyes, two anterior and two posteriors ( Fig. 16 B, D ; Fig. 17 B ). Abdomen vertical, inserted between the fourth pair of lateral processes ( Fig. 16 A ; Fig. 17 D ; Fig. 18 D, I ), ( Fig. 16 B ; Fig. 17 J ; Fig. 18 I ). Cylindrical proboscis with rounded anterior end, 3.5 times longer than wide, horizontal to body ( Fig. 16 A–B, D; Fig. 17 B ; Fig. 18 A–B). Triangular mouth, each lip lined with a dense fringe of setae ( Fig. 17 A ; 18 A–B).

Chelifore three-articled, single-segmented scape, long, extends beyond the distal portion of the proboscis, with two dorsal setae and five distal setae ( Fig. 16 A–B, D, E; Fig. 17 B ). Chela well developed, without teeth, four middle setae on the ventral side of the movable finger, two mid-ventral setae on the immovable finger, one seta at the beginning of the immovable finger, two ventro-lateral setae on the base of immovable finger ( Fig. 16 E ; Fig. 17 B–C).

Palps absent.

Ovigers inserted just before the first pair of legs, with six articles ( Fig. 16 H ). First article short and glabrous. Second article 3.8 times longer than the first one, with two middle-dorsal setae, two ventral setae inserted on proximal end, two latero-distal setae and a ventro-distal seta. Third article longest, 4.8 times longer than the first one, with a row of four dorsal setae and a row of four ventral setae. Fourth article 2.8 times longer than the first one, with three dorsal setae. Fifth article 1.5 times longer than the first one, with a lateral row of five setae and three dorso-distal setae. Sixth article shorter than the first one, glabrous ( Fig. 16 H , Fig. 17 H–I).

Thin legs. Coxa 1 with a dorso-distal seta. Coxa 2 widened distally ( Fig. 18 H ), with a ventro-distal long and pointed genital spur on both, male and female, on first and second legs genital spur are low and rounded, on third and fourth legs genital spurs are taller and conical (16 F, 18 G). Coxa 3 with four ventral setae, two ventro-distal setae and a middle-dorsal seta. Femur with a ventral row of six setae (five in the first half and one distal), three lateral setae; mid-dorsal tubular cement gland, and a dorso-distal projection with a long seta ( Fig. 17 F ). Tibiae 1 and 2 longest, subequal in length. Tibia 1, six times longer than coxa 1, with three lateral setae, three ventral setae, three proximal-dorsal setae, a mid-dorsal seta and two dorso-distal setae. Tibia 2, as long as tibia 1, in dorsal view with five small spines inserted proximally, one median and two distal setae, with a row of five ventral setae and a lateral one. Tarsus with two mid-ventral setae, a lateral seta and a thick ventro-distal seta. Propodus with a row of nine small dorsal spines and seven lateral spines in a row; heel with five thick setae; two rows of nine ventral sole spines directed towards the front ( Fig. 16 F–G; Fig. 17 E–G). Main claw ¾ propodus length, auxiliary claws minute ( Fig. 16 G ; Fig. 17 G ).

Female: Anoplodactylus californicus females are distinct from males by presenting a pair of wing processes on the ventral surface of the proboscis, each with tree-lobed and ten distal crenulations ( Fig. 16 C–D; Fig. 18 B–C, E). Palps present as a small bump ( Fig. 16 C–D; Fig. 18 B–C). Ovigers absent in females.

Measurements of the illustrated specimen (mm). Trunk: 1.83 from the anterior end of the cephalic segment to the limit of the fourth lateral process, 1.33 wide between the second pair of lateral processes. Proboscis 1.02 long, 0.29 wide.

Leg 3: Coxa 1, 0.2; coxa 2, 0.6; coxa 3, 0.4; femur, 1; tibia 1, 1.2; tibia 2, 1.2; tarsus, 0.1; propodus, 0.56; claw, 0.37.

Oviger: 2.73 long; 1) 0.19; 2) 0.72; 3) 0.91; 4) 0.53; 5) 0.1; 6) 0.28.

Distribution. Anoplodactylus californicus was originally described from Laguna Beach, California, USA. This species has a widespread distribution ( Bamber et al. 2020, Melzer et al. 2006) in both Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Calman (1927) collected A. portus from the Suez Canal, Egypt; Marcus (1940) from Santos Bay, Brazil; Hilton (1942d) reports the species as A. projectus from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA; Hedgpeth (1948) from Virgin Islands and Salt River Lagoon, USA; Stock (1954) from the Western Islands in the Caribbean Sea; Chimenz-Gusso & Lattanzi (2003) from the Mediterranean Sea, Bamber & Takahashi (2005) from Ecuador and Melzer et al. (2006) from the Southeast coast of Chile. The present record from Puerto Escondido is about 690 km south of the closest previous report at Consag Rock, northern Gulf of California ( Hilton, 1942c).

Remarks. Anoplodactylus includes 137 nominal species worldwide ( Bamber et al. 2020). Only 13 Anoplodactylus species have been reported for the different marine littoral localities in Mexico. Some differences have been observed in the structure of the legs in the A. californicus specimens from the present study with respect to the specimen described by Hall (1912). Tibiae 1 and 2 are markedly longer and thinner than those described for the holotype, but the rest of the characters do not vary substantially between the specimens from the Gulf of California and California, USA. Chimenz-Gusso & Lattanzi (2003) reported that A. californicus is distributed in deep waters, deeper than 150 m in the Mediterranean Sea, while this species has been generally captured in shallow coastal waters everywhere else. Bamber & Takahashi (2005) highlight its pantropical distribution in temperate waters up to 100 m depth, mentioning that the occurrences of A. californicus are all in shallow areas. Likewise, Melzer et al. (2006) report A. californicus as epibionts of cnidarians in a fjord in southeastern Chile, but without a description or illustrations that allow verification of the species identification. The current study is the first record of A. californicus for Baja California Sur.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Area of study showing the nine marine docks located along the peninsular coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico. 1 = Cabo San Lucas; 2 = Puerto Los Cabos; 3 = FONATUR-Fidepaz; 4 = La Paz; 5 = Fiscal Pier, 6 = Palmira, 7 = Cantamar; 8 = Puerto Escondido (located about 50 km south of Loreto), and 9 = FONATUR-Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico. A magnification of the map shown marine docks 3–7 located at Bahía de La Paz.

FIGURE 16. Anoplodactylus californicus, UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0074, male: A, trunk, dorsal view; B, trunk, lateral view; E, chelifore; F, third leg; G, tarsus and propodus of leg 3, enlarged; H, oviger UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0076 in ventral view showing the alar process. C, Anterior end of female, ventral view; D, cephalon of female, lateral view. Scale bar: F = 1 mm; A–E, G–H = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 17. Anoplodactylus californicus UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0074, male: A, proboscis, frontal view; B, cephalic segment, frontal view; C, chela, enlarged; D, trunk, dorsal view; E, third leg; F, femur, showing cement gland, enlarged; G, tarsus, propodus, and claw, enlarged; H, oviger; I, terminal articles of oviger, enlarged; J, abdomen. Scale bars: D–F = 1 mm; B, G–H = 0.5 mm; A, C, I–J = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 18. Anoplodactylus californicus, (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0079), female:A, proboscis, frontal view; B, cephalon, ventral view; C, Alar process, ventral view; D, trunk, dorsal view; E, trunk, ventral view; F, ocular tubercle; G, genital spur, enlarged; H, coxa 2, dorsal view; I, Abdomen, lateral view. Scale bars: D–E = 1 mm; I = 0.5 mm; A–B, F, H = 0.3 mm;; C = 0.2 mm G = 0.1 mm.