Galathea waiora, Macpherson, Enrique & Robainas-Barcia, Aymee, 2015

Macpherson, Enrique & Robainas-Barcia, Aymee, 2015, Species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with descriptions of 92 new species, Zootaxa 3913 (1), pp. 1-335 : 317-319

Galathea waiora n. sp.

( Fig. 113 )

Material examined. Holotype: French Polynesia. Society Islands. Moorea Island, 17.5044°S, 149.7584°W, 105 m, 7 February 2012: M 2.3 mm (UF34121).

Etymology. Waiora is the Polynesian goddess of health. The name is considered as a substantive in apposition.

Description. Carapace: As long as broad; ridges with short fine setae, with some scattered long setae; cervical groove slightly distinct, laterally bifurcated; gastric and anterior branchial regions only with scale-like or in concentric arcs; 4 median epigastric spines. Posterior branchial region with 2 transverse interrupted ridges. Lateral margins convex medially, with 5 spines: 1 spine in front of and 4 spines behind anterior cervical groove; first anterolateral, accompanying another spine ventral to between first and cervical groove; 2 spines on anterior branchial margin, and 2 spines on posterior branchial margin. External orbital limit ending in small spine; infraorbital margin with 1 spine. Rostrum broad triangular, 1.6 times as long as broad, length 0.7 postorbital carapace length and breadth 0.4 that of carapace, nearly horizontal in lateral view; distance between distalmost lateral incisions 0.25 distance between proximalmost lateral incisions; dorsal surface with some short setae; lateral margin with 4 deeply incised sharp teeth.

Pterygostomian flap rugose, unarmed, anterior margin acute.

Sternum: As long as broad, lateral extremities gently divergent posteriorly.

Abdomen: Somite 2 with 2 transverse ridges, anterior ridge more distinctly elevated than posterior ridge; somites 3–6 smooth, posteromedian margin of somite 6 straight. Males with G1 and G2.

Eyes: Ocular peduncles 1.2 times longer than broad, maximum corneal diameter 0.6 rostrum width.

Antennule: Article 1 with 3 well-developed spines, distodorsal larger; distomesial spine smaller than others. Ultimate article with a few short fine setae on distodorsal margin.

Antenna: Article 1 with ventral distomesial spine reaching end of article 2. Article 2 with 2 distal spines, distolateral spine larger than distomesial, exceeding midlength of article 3. Article 3 with small distomesial spine. Article 4 unarmed.

Mxp3: Ischium with well-developed distal spine on flexor margin; extensor and flexor margins ending in spine; crista dentata with 18 denticles. Merus equally long as ischium; flexor margin with 1 strong median spine and one minute distal spine; extensor margin with minute distal spine. Carpus unarmed.

P1: 2.8 times carapace length. Merus as long as carapace, 1.5 times as long as carpus, with spines arranged roughly in rows, distal spines prominent. Carpus as long as palm, 1.5 times as long as broad; dorsal surface with some spines arranged roughly in longitudinal rows; mesial margin with 2 strong spines. Palm 1.5 times longer than broad, lateral and mesial margins subparallel; spines arranged roughly in rows; dorsolateral row continuing on to lateral margin of fixed finger. Fingers as long as palm, each finger distally with two rows of teeth, spooned; proximal half of movable finger with row of dorsomesial spines.

P2–4: Moderately slender, with setose striae and sparse long plumose setae. P2 twice carapace length. Meri successively shorter posteriorly (P3 merus 0.9 length of P3 merus, P4 merus 0.9 length of P3 merus); P2 merus 0.7 carapace length, 3.5 times as long as broad, 1.5 times longer than P2 propodus. Extensor margin with row of 7 proximally diminishing spines on P2–3, 3 small spines on P4; ventral margins distally ending in strong spine followed proximally by 0–2 spines and several eminences. Carpi with 3 or 4 spines on extensor margin on P2–4; lateral surface with 2 or 3 spines or acute granules sub-paralleling extensor margin; flexor distal margin acute. P2–4 propodi 3.5 times as long as broad; extensor margins with 1–4 proximal spines; flexor margin with 5 or 6 slender movable spines. Dactyli distally ending in well-curved strong spine, length 0.8 that of propodi; flexor margin with 4 proximally diminishing teeth, terminal one prominent.

Epipods on P1.

Remarks. Galathea waiora n. sp. appears closest to G. submagnifica Laurie, 1926 from the southwestern Indian Ocean and G. furfurea n. sp. from New Caledonia and South China Sea (Macclesfield Bank).

Galathea submagnifica Laurie, 1926 is easily distinguished from the other two species by the presence of two epigastric spines on the carapace, rather than four in the other species.

Galathea furfurea and G. waiora can be differentiated by the following characters:

- There is one parahepatic spine on each side in G. furfurea , whereas this spine is absent in G. waiora . - The carapace lateral margin has one small spine between the anterolateral spine and the anteriormost spine of the branchial margin in G. furfurea , whereas this spine is absent in G. waiora .

No genetic data are available for G. waiora .

Distribution. French Polynesia, Moorea Island, 105 m.

Figures

FIGURE 113. Galathea waiora n. sp., holotype, male, 2.3 mm, French Polynesia (UF 34121). A, carapace and abdomen, dorsal view; B, thoracic sternites 3 and 4; C, left part of cephalothorax, ventral view, showing antennular and antennal peduncles, and anterior part of pterygostomian flap; D, ischium, merus and carpus of right Mxp 3, lateral view; E, right P 1, dorsal view; F, right P 2, lateral view; G, right P 3, lateral view; H, left P 4, lateral view. Scale: A, E – H = 1 mm; B – D = 0.5 mm.