Caridina fritzi, Richard, Jasmine & Clark, Paul F., 2014

Richard, Jasmine & Clark, Paul F., 2014, Caridina simoni Bouvier, 1904 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyoidea: Atyidae) and the synonymy by Johnson, 1963, Zootaxa 3841 (3), pp. 301-338 : 326-328

Caridina fritzi sp. nov.

( Fig. 14 )

Material examined. Caridina meridionalis . Types: Holotype, Cotype. New Caledonia. Coula-Boréaré, coll. F. Sarasin & J. Roux, 6.2.12, (another slip, Drs. F. Sarasin & J. Roux, Coula Fluss bei Boréaré, 6.II.12) NMB reg. 4.VIII. e, 1♂; Paratypes. Cotypes. Coula-Boréaré, coll. F. Sarasin & J. Roux, 6.2.12, (another slip, Drs. F. Sarasin & J. Roux, Coula Fluss bei Boréaré, 6.II.12) NMB reg. 4.VIII.e, 15♂, 12♀; Coindé , coll. F. Sarasin & J. Roux, 12.1.12, NMB reg. 4.VIII.g, 32♂, 56♀.

Description. From male paratypes. Adult s ize 15–25 mm. Carapace length 2.3–3.4 mm.

Rostrum ( Fig. 14a, b ): Mostly reaches middle of 3rd segment of antennular peduncle or shorter, rarely equal to antennular peduncle. 1.9–2.5 mm in length. 0.70–0.85×long as carapace 10–20 teeth present proximally leaving 0.1–0.3 of the dorsal margin unarmed distally, which is uninterrupted or interrupted by 1 tooth. 1–2 post orbital teeth present, tip mostly pointed rarely bifid, 1–9 teeth placed mid-ventrally leaving distal ventral margin unarmed. Formula (1–2) 10–20/1–9.

Antennular peduncle ( Fig. 14a, b ): 0.6–0.75×carapace. Stylocerite 0.45–0.55×length of basal segment. Anterolateral teeth of basal segment 0.15–0.2×second segment. 8–12 segments bearing aesthetascs.

First pereiopod ( Fig. 14c ): Dactylus 1.1–1.3×palm of propodus. Chela 1.9–2.2×long as broad. Carpus 2.0–2.2×long as broad, with the anterior excavation.

Second pereiopod ( Fig. 14d ): Dactylus 1.6–1.9×long as palm of propodus. Chela 2.5–2.9×long as broad. Carpus 4.5–4.9×long as broad.

Third pereiopod ( Fig.14e, f ): Dactylus 1.9–2.2×long as broad. 6–10 spines on dactylus (including terminal spines). Propodus 6.0–6.8×long as dactylus and 8–11×long as broad with 9–14 spines arranged along inner margin. Carpus 0.55–0.65×long as propodus, with 1 large spine and 3–4 small spines on inner margin. Merus 1.5–1.8×carpus length. Merus with 3 large spines along posterior margin.

Fifth pereiopod ( Fig. 14g, h ): Dactylus 2.5–2.75×long as broad with 20–35 spines arranged in comb-like fashion on inner margin. Propodus 12–14×long as broad and 4.5–5×long as dactylus with 8–12 spines arranged along posterior margin. Carpus 0.5–0.55×propodus length and with one large spine and 3–4 minute spines along inner margin. Merus 1.5–1.7×carpus length, with 1 large spine along posterior margin.

Setobranch: With one seta on all pereiopods.

First male pleopod ( Fig. 14i, j ): Endopod 0.35–0.45×exopod length; with or without appendix interna.

First female pleopod: Endopod 0.5–0.6×long as exopod.

Second male pleopod ( Fig. 14k ): Appendix masculina 1.5–1.7×appendix interna, 0.3–0.4×endopod.

6th abdominal somite: 0.5–0.7×long as carapace.

Telson ( Fig. 14l, m ): 1.0–1.1×long as 6th abdominal somite. 3–5 pairs of dorsal spines (including subterminal spines). Posterior margin triangular converging to median pointed process with 1 pair of long lateral spines and two pairs of intermediate spines that are slightly shorter than the lateral spines.

Uropod ( Fig. 14n ): 10–12 diaeresis spinules.

Anal carina: Armed with a spine.

Etymology. fritzi : named in honour of Karl Friedrich (Fritz) Sarasin, a Swiss naturalist, who together with Jean Roux, explored New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands from 1911 to 1912 collecting many of the Caridina examined during this study.

Distribution. New Caledonia.

Type locality. Coula-Boréaré, New Caledonia.

Remarks. While describing C. n. meridionalis from 7 localities in New Caledonia Roux (1926a) was aware of the variation in the number of rostral teeth within his samples, especially on the ventral margin. Although he ( J. Roux 1926b) considered those with fewer rostral teeth as juveniles, they have a body length of 15–25 mm size) and the presence of well-developed appendix masculina confirm that these specimens as adults. Therefore these specimens were considered to be an undescribed species.

Caridina fritzi sp. nov. from Coula-Boréaré and Coindé are described here as a new species based on the following characters; rostrum short mostly reaching the middle of the third antennular peduncle segment and rarely the end; 10–20 teeth on proximally leaving 0.1–0.3 of the dorsal rostral margin unarmed distally, which is left uninterrupted or interrupted by 1 tooth; 1–9 rostral teeth on the mid-ventral margin with the distal end unarmed; tip of rostrum mostly pointed and rarely bifid; 20–35 spines on the dactylus of the fifth pereiopod; endopod of first pleopod of male either with or without an appendix interna.

Caridina fritzi sp. nov. is morphologically similar to C. meridionalis in the structure of the telson, but differs from it by the morphology of the rostrum. In C. fritzi sp. nov. the rostrum is as short as the middle of the third segment of the antennular peduncle rarely equal to antennular peduncle (vs. rostrum equal to antennular peduncle or slightly longer in C. meridionalis ), the short distal unarmed margin is mostly left uninterrupted rarely interrupted by a single tooth (vs. teeth up to the tip on the dorsal margin in C. meridionalis ) and in having 20–35 spines on the dactylus of the 5th pereiopod (vs. 45–55 spines in C. meridionalis ).

Ovigerous females were not available for study and therefore the egg number and size could not be confirmed. Caridina fritzi sp. nov. differs from C. simoni in having a shorter rostrum, as short as the middle of the third segment of the antennular peduncle rarely reaching the end of the antennular peduncle (vs. equal to antennal scale or longer in C. simoni ), distal dorsal unarmed margin mostly left uninterrupted rarely interrupted by a single tooth (vs. mostly interrupted by 1–4 teeth rarely left uninterrupted in C. simoni ) tip bifid or pointed (vs. tip of rostrum always pointed in C. simoni ) and in having the posterior margin of the telson triangular with a median process (vs. posterior margin of the telson rounded mostly without a median process rarely with in C. simoni ).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Caridina fritzi sp. nov., Holotype NMB 4.VIII.e, ♂: a) Anterior region of the cepahalothorax; Paratype ♂: b) Anterior region of the cepahalothorax; Holotype ♂: c) First pereiopod; d) Second pereiopod, e) Third pereiopod; f) Dactylus of third pereiopod; g) Fifth pereiopod; h) Dactylus of fifth pereiopod; i) Endopod of first male pleopod; 2nd ♂: j) Endopod of first male pleopod; k) Appendix masculina; l) Telson; m) Posterior margin of telson; n) Uropod diaeresis spinules.