Palaemonella pottsi ( Borradaile, 1915 )

Prakash, S. & Marimuthu, N., 2020, Notes on some crinoid associated decapod crustaceans (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Lakshadweep Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean, Zootaxa 4766 (1), pp. 86-100 : 92

Palaemonella pottsi ( Borradaile, 1915)

( Figs 3j, k, l , 4d )

Restricted synonymy:

Periclimenes (Falciger) pottsi Borradaile, 1915: 212 .

Periclimenes pottsi Potts, 1915: 82 .

Palaemonella pottsi Bruce, 1970: 279–284 , Figs. 3 –7. Chace and Bruce, 1993: 543, 89. De Grave, 2000: 70, 129, fig. 4.

Material examined. Single ovigerous female (cl 3.4 mm, tl 14.9 mm), India, Lakshadweep, Amini Island, 11 o 07.739’N 72 o 44.119’E, depth 10m, on Phanogenia gracilis , 17 February 2018 (ZSI/ Crustacea /C8031/2).

Short Description. Rostrum dorsal spines seven and ventral spines two, extending over the distal region of third article of antennular peduncle as well as the scaphocerite. Absence of supraorbital spine, cornea wider than the stalk, anterolateral tooth overreaching the blade. Stylocerite slightly overreaching the distal region of first article on antennular segment. Scaphocerite not reaching the tip of the rostrum. Second pereiopod subequal, movable finder not crested on extensor margin, carpus armed with two small acute spines on the margin, merus armed with sharp distal tooth on flexor margin, ischium unarmed. Last three pereiopods with dactylus sinuous on flexor margin unguis clearly demarcated, propodal spines small on the lower margin.

Coloration. Rostrum dark blue with tip orangish. Entire carapace and first three abdominal segments dark, last three segments pale blue. Major pereiopod from coxa to carpus dark, propodus dark blue, distal portion of propodus and movable finger dark. Other pereiopods like major pereiopods with dactylus region dark. Telson light blue and looks transparent, endopod of the uropods dark blue, exopods light blue and setae orangish.

Distribution. Widespread in the Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Zanzibar, Japan, Australia including Queensland, New Caledonia. Now from India.

Host. Mostly associated with crinoids. In the present study, P. pottsi is collected from the Phanogenia gracilis in the Amini Island of Lakshadweep.

Remarks. Palaemonella pottsi is often confused with its congener P. rotumana . However, P. pottsi can be easily separated from the later by ambulatory pereiopod dactylar region clearly demarcated. Propodal spines being small in P. pottsi compared to long spines in P. rotumana . This species is reported for the first time from India.

Figures

FIGURE 3. a. Microscopic image of Synalpheus carinatus (De Man, 1888) carapace, lateral view; b. same, anterior region of carapace along with the major chela, dorsal chela; c. same, posterior abdominal segments and telson, dorsal view; d. S. comatularum (Haswell, 1882)—whole animal, lateral view; e. same, posterior region of carapace, dorsal view; f. same, dorsal view of telson; g. S. stimpsonii (De Man, 1888)—carapace, dorsal view; h. same, anterior region of carapace dorsal view; i. same, major chela, venterolateral view; j. Palaemonella pottsi (Borradaile, 1915)—whole animal, lateral view; k. same, anterior region of carapace, dorsal view; l. same, dorsal view of telson showing posterior spines, Scale bar: a,d,e,g,h,i= 2mm, b,c,f,j–l= 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Crustacean decapods associated with crinoids collected from the Lakshadweep Islands. a. Synalpheus carinatus (De Man, 1888), lateral view; b. S. comatularum (Haswell, 1882), lateral view; c. S. stimpsonii (De Man, 1888), lateral view; d. Palaemonella pottsi (Borradaile, 1915); e. Permanotus purpureus (Gordon, 1934).