Liomera monticulosa (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)

Padate, Vinay P., Periasamy, Rengaiyan, Rivonker, Chandrashekher U. & Ingole, Baban S., 2023, Coral reef-associated brachyuran fauna (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from Angria Bank off the west coast of India, Zootaxa 5357 (3), pp. 398-422 : 413

Liomera monticulosa (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)

( Fig. 6G–I )

Carpilodes monticulosus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873a: 181 , pl. 5, figs. 1, 1a (type locality: New Caledonia).—De Man 1887: 233.— Ortmann 1894: 51.— Nobili 1907: 387.— Odhner 1925, 21, pl. 1, fig. 18.— Sakai 1939: 475, pl. 92, fig. 4.— Ward 1942: 54, 83.— Holthuis 1953: 13.— Serène & Luom 1960: 178 (key), fig. 2c.— Buitendijk 1960: 256, fig. 1d.

Liomera monticulosa .— Barnard 1950: 240, fig. 44c, d.— Guinot 1964, 11.— Guinot 1967: 266.— Serène 1968: 72.— Serène 1977: 50.— Sakai 1976: 396, pl. 141, fig. 1.—Takeda 1976: 81, pl. 9A.— Takeda & Miyake 1976: 109.— Peyrot-Clausade 1977a: 27 (species index).— Peyrot-Clausade 1977b: 212.— Ribes 1978: 127.— Kensley 1981: 44.— Serène 1984: 64.— Galil & Vannini 1990: 28, fig. 7D.

Phymodius rugipes .— Miers 1884: 531. [Non Liomera rugipes (Heller, 1861) ]

Carpilodes cariosus Alcock 1898: 86 .— Alcock 1899c: pl. 36, fig. 7.— Borradaile 1902b: 261.— Calman 1909: 704.— Rathbun 1911: 212.— Bouvier 1915: 294 (117).— Michel 1964: 23.

Carpilodes caelatus .— Guinot 1958: 86. [= Non Liomera caelata ( Odhner, 1925) ]

Non Carpilodes monticulosus .— Alcock 1898: 86.— Lenz 1901: 463.— Borradaile 1902b: 260.— Rathbun 1911: 212. [= Liomera rugata (H. Milne Edwards, 1834) ]

Material examined. 1 juvenile male (2.2 × 1.2 mm) ( NIO /BOD/AB/BRY/00005), RVSS 5 , west of Vijaydurg , Arabian Sea, 16.33°N, 72.10°E, 25 m depth, Van Veen grab, coll. R. Periasamy, 7 January 2014 .

Diagnosis. Carapace sub-hexagonal, much wider than long, convex longitudinally as well as transversely; regions distinctly areolated, prominently pitted, covered with tightly packed sharp granules, devoid of tomentum; frontal margin distinctly bilobed with distinct median notch, separated from inner orbital margin; fronto-orbital width <0.5 × CW; anterolateral margins shorter than posterolateral margins, divided into 4 granulated teeth (excluding external orbital angle), first 2 teeth appearing worn out ( Fig. 6G ). Basal antennal article reaching frontal margin, antennal flagellum included in orbital hiatus ( Fig. 6H ). Endostomial ridges absent. Maxilliped 3 merus wider than long ( Fig. 6H ). Chelipeds bearing sharp granules on upper and outer surfaces ( Fig. 6G, H, I ). Pereopods 2–5 with carpus and propodus bearing 2 longitudinal granular rows on upper surfaces ( Fig. 6H ).

Colouration. Preserved specimen: Carapace off-white with symmetrically arranged red blotches on 2M, 3M, 5L, 1R, 2R, 3R and 1P regions; chelipeds and pereopods bright red, fingers brownish with white tips ( Fig. 6G–I ).

Biology. Known to inhabit corals ( Acropora variabilis, Tubipora sp., Pocillopora verrucosa , P. danae and Porites andrewsi ; Galil & Vannini 1990), commonly from 18–34 m ( Alcock 1898); also known to inhabit crevices in dead coral blocks or the bottoms of coral and shell debris adjacent to the coral reef from 15–100 m ( Serène 1984). The present specimen was collected from rocky substratum in the vicinity of live corals.

Remarks. A. Milne-Edwards (1873a) originally described Carpilodes monticulosus from New Caledonia. Alcock (1898) described Carpilodes cariosus from Sri Lanka and Andamans. Odhner (1925) transferred this species to the genus Liomera . Serène’s (1984) monograph included this species in the identification key to the species of the genus Liomera , supplemented with a comprehensive synonymy. The present specimen conforms to the line illustrations and morphological description of the type specimens (A. Milne-Edwards (1873a) in the texture and lobulation on the carapace, and the rugose nature of the pereopods. This specimen also keys out as L. monticulosa following the identification key provided by Serène (1984) due to the granular carapace with a generally eroded appearance, its colouration, and the nodular nature and colouration of the pereopods. On the other hand, the present specimen (juvenile) did not possess a G1 for comparison with published literature.

Geographical distribution. Throughout the Indo–Pacific regions ( Galil & Vannini 1990). In India, Andamans ( Dev Roy & Nandi 2012), Nicobar ( Alcock 1898), Minicoy Island ( Borradaile 1902b), and the Arabian Sea off Konkan coast (present study).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Soliella flava (Rathbun, 1894), male (NIO/BOD/AB/BRY/00004, 2.8 × 1.8 mm), eastern Arabian Sea, India: (A) dorsal habitus (preserved colour); (B) ventral habitus (preserved colour); (C) left cheliped fingers (disto-external view); (D) right P2 dactylar articulation, dorsal view; (E) male pleon, ventral view; (F) G1, pleonal view. Liomera monticulosa (A. Milne Edwards, 1873), male (NIO/BOD/AB/BRY/00005, 2.2 × 1.2 mm), eastern Arabian Sea, India: (G) dorsal habitus (preserved specimen); (H) ventral habitus (preserved specimen); (I) left cheliped, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–E, G–I, 1 mm; C–D, 0.5 mm; F, 0.1 mm.