Aliaporcellana suluensis ( Dana, 1852 )

Osawa, Masayuki, 2007, Porcellanidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, Zootaxa 1548, pp. 1-49 : 7-8

Aliaporcellana suluensis ( Dana, 1852)

( Fig. 2 )

Porcellana suluensis Dana, 1852: 414 (type locality: Sulu Sea).

Polyonyx denticulatus Paulson, 1875: 89 , pl. 11, fig. 6 (type locality: Red Sea).

Polyonyx hexagonalis Zehntner, 1894: 187 , pl. 8, figs. 18, 18a (type locality: Amboina, Moluccas, Indonesia). Polyonyx suluensis .— Haig, 1964: 373, fig. 3.— Lewinsohn, 1969: 166, fig. 37.

Aliaporcellana suluensis .— Nakasone & Miyake, 1969: 21, fig. 1.

Aliaporcellana pygmaea .— Haig, 1979: 130, figs. 13–15. [Not Aliaporcellana pygmaea (de Man, 1902)].

Material examined. New Caledonia. Woodin Channel, coll. J.-L. Menou, 18. Nov. 1992, 1 female CL 3.4 mm. Nouméa Aquarium, Provenance lagoon, coll. C. Vadon, 14 Sep. 1978, 2 ovig. females CL 3.4, 5.2 mm. Nouméa Aquarium, Provenance lagoon, sponge, coll. C. Vadon, Sept. 1978, 1 male CL 4.7 mm, 1 female CL 3.9 mm, 2 ovig. females CL 4.5, 4.7 mm. Nouméa Aquarium, sponge, 1 female CL 3.4 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 5.0 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, coll. C. Vadon, 3 Oct. 1978, 1 male CL 4.6 mm. Maitre Islet, channel, lagoon, 25 m, sponge, coll. C. Vadon, 5 Sep. 1978, 3 males CL 2.3–4.3 mm, 1 female CL 3.7 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 4.7 mm. Channel off 5 miles, lagoon, 15–20 m, sponge, coll. C. Vadon, 20 Sep. 1978, 1 female CL 3.7 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 4.0 mm. Lagon, Channel off 5 miles, lagoon, 15–20 m, coll. C. Vadon, 20 Sep. 1978, 1 male CL 4.4 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 25 m, rock, alcyonacean and sponge, coll. C. Vadon, 5 Sep. 1978, 1 male CL 4.7 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 25 m, rock, alcyonacean and sponge, coll. C. Vadon, 5 Sep. 1978, 7 males CL 2.6–4.4 mm, 1 female CL 3.2 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 4.5 mm. Nouville, lagoon, 18–20 m, tube of Eunicidae (Polychaeta) , coll. P. Bouchet, 1 Apr. 1993, 17 males CL 3.7–5.3 mm, 4 females CL 4.8–5.8 mm, 8 ovig. females CL 3.8–5.7 mm. Sargasses, lagoon, 18 m, coll. P. Bouchet, 30 Jun. 1992, 1 male CL 3.6 mm. Récif du Croissant, lagoon, coll. B. Richer de Forges, 7 May 1998, 1 male CL 3.8 mm. Woodin Channel, lagoon, 18. Nov. 1992, 1 ovig. female CL 4.1 mm. Grande Rade, lagoon, 10–11 m, coll. P. Bouchet, 14 Apr. 1993, 2 males CL 4.8, 5.2 mm, 1 female CL 4.3 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 4.7 mm. Croissant and Larégnère, lagoon, outer slope of reef, 20 m, coll. P. Bouchet, 24 Apr. 1993, 1 ovig. female CL 3.0 mm. South of Grand Récif, St. 345, 22°45’S, 166°52’E, 39 m, coll. B. Richer de Forges/ ORSTOM, 1 ovig. female CL 4.4 mm. Ouen Island, Prony Bay, St. 248, 22°24’S, 166°47’E, 47 m, coll. B. Richer de Forges/ ORSTOM, 2 ovig. females CL 4.0, 4.7 mm. East Lagoon, St. 0 900, 22°14.6’S, 164°23.1’E, 40 m, 14 Jan.1987, coll. B. Richer de Forges/ ORSTOM, 1 ovig. female CL 3.5 mm. Récif Croissant, St. 533, 20 m, coll. Bargibant and Menou, 18 Apr. 1994, 1 ovig. female CL 4.7 mm. North of Dragages lagoon, Station DW1072, 19°55.0’S, 164°02.4’E, 20 m, 23 Oct. 1989, coll. B. Richer de Forges-ORSTOM, 1 female CL 3.8 mm. Seiche Croissant, lagoon, 7 May 1998, coll. B. Richer de Forges, 1 male CL 3.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1376, 18°27.2’S, 163°09.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 male CL 3.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1385, 18°24.9’S, 163°05.8’E, 45 m, 10 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges- IRD, 1 male CL 3.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1388, 18°23.8’S, 163°06.9’E, 40 m, 11 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 ovig. female CL 3.3 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. DW1395, 18°17.6’S, 163°01.9’E, 34–36 m, 13 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 male CL 3.7 mm.

Loyalty Islands. Lifou Island. Santal Bay. Atelier LIFOU. St. 1459 (St. 6), Ngoni, 20°47.0’S, 167°03.0’E, 55–80 m, dredge, 13 Nov. 2000, 3 males CL 3.4–4.2 mm, 2 ovig. females CL 3.9, 4.4 mm. St. 1459 (St. 6), Ngoni, 20°47.0’S, 167°03.0’E, 55–80 m, dredge, 13 Nov. 2000, 1 ovig. female CL 3.3 mm. St. 1459 (St. 6), Ngoni, 20°47.0’S, 167°03.0’E, 55–80 m, dredge, 13 Nov. 2000, 1 ovig. female CL 4.0mm. St. 1460 (St. 11), Huca Htighé Island, 20°52.4’S, 167°08.0’E, 40–60 m, dredge, 6 Nov. 2000, 2 ovig. females CL 4.8, 5.5 mm. St. 1451 (St. 48B), Esao, 20°47.3’S, 167°06.8’E, 10–21 m, 19 Nov. 2000, 2 males CL 2.7, 3.2 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 3.3 mm. St. 1468 (St. 52), Hunetë, 20°46.5’S, 167°05.7’E, 30–80 m, dredge, 20 Nov. 2000, 2 males CL 3.7, 3.7 mm. St. 1455 (St. 64), between Cap Wekutr and Cap Wajez, 20°56.8’S, 167°02.7’E, 15–20 m, 25 Nov. 2000, 1 male CL 2.6 mm.

Remarks. Haig (1964) discussed in depth the synonymy of Aliaporcellana suluensis (as Polyonyx suluensis ) and the degrees of convexity of the carapace lateral margins in the geographical populations.

Aliaporcellana suluensis varies in the armature of the chelipeds according to increase in size rather than difference of sex of individuals. The acute teeth on the dorsoflexor margin of the carpus in small specimens become blunt in large specimens. The spines on the dorsal extensor surface of the chela also turn blunt or disappear in large specimens ( Fig. 2 ).

The characters of the specimen of A. pygmaea from the Moluccas illustrated by Haig (1979, figs. 13–15) seems to fall within the range of variation observed in small specimens of A. suluensis on the basis of the armature of the chelipeds as well as lack of a small spine on the dactylus of the ambulatory leg. The distinctions between two species are mentioned in the Remarks above of A. pygmaea .

Aliaporcellana telestophila ( Johnson, 1958) closely resembles A. suluensis , but differs in having the dactyli of the ambulatory legs each with the flexor claw being much larger than the extensor claw and with a rounded knob on the proximal flexor margin ( Haig 1964; Ng & Goh 1996).

Distribution. Widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific; north to Kyushu, Japan, south to tropical Queensland and New Caledonia, and west to Red Sea and east coast of Africa; littoral to 180 m ( Haig 1989, 1992).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Aliaporcellana suluensis (Dana, 1852). Smaller cheliped. A, male, CL 3.2 mm, Loyalty Islands, St. 1451; B, male, CL 4.2 mm, Loyalty Islands, St. 1459; C, ovig. female, CL 4.4 mm, Loyalty Islands, St. 1459; D, female, CL 5.8 mm, New Caledonia, Nouville. Scale equals 1.0 mm.