Veleronia sympathes ( De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979 ) De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979

Marin, Ivan, 2008, Taxonomic position of Pontonides sympathes De Ridder & Holthuis and species of the genus Ve l e r o n i a Holthuis (Decapoda, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae) with the description of a new genus, Zootaxa 1932, pp. 1-17 : 2-3

Veleronia sympathes ( De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Pontonides sympathes De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979: 101 , fig. 1–3 [type locality: Galapagos Islands].

Material. — Holotype (ovigerous female) ( RMNH D 31975) and paratypes (2 ovigerous females, 10 males) ( RMNH D 31976), Punta Pill, San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, 2.ii.1976, coll. De Ridder.

Diagnosis. — Small-sized shrimp with subcylindrical body. Carapace smooth, not gibbous, with small feebly marked antennal tooth, hepatic tooth absent, anterolateral angle concave. Orbits incomplete, open. Rostrum very short, not reaching middle of basal antennular segment. Supraorbital margin well developed, not covering proximal part of eyestalk, reaching tip of rostrum, with almost straight distal margin. Eyestalk normal, with blunt dorsal tubercle in large females. Pleura of abdominal somites IV–V rounded. Basal segment of antenna normal, with well-developed distolateral tooth and additional lobe between tooth and next segment, without additional lateral projection (tooth). Scaphocerite with well-developed distolateral tooth. Maxilla with single well-developed upper endite. Maxilliped I with completely fused endites, with developed epipod and exopod. Maxilliped II with straight margin of dactylar segment, with oval epipod, without exopod and podobranch. Maxilliped III with elongated, intermediate segment; epipod well developed, with small arthrobranch, fusiform setae absent. Pereiopod I with simple fingers bearing stout setae along distal margin. Pereiopods II (chelipeds) unequal, differing in size; major chela with propodus (palm) long and curved, covered with small teeth, about 3.5 times longer than wide; fingers small and stout, about ¼ palm length; dactylus with single tooth situated in basal half of cutting edge opposite to fossa on fixed finger; fixed finger subspatulate, cutting edge with two triangular teeth situated on the outer side of the finger; minor chela with smooth palm. Pereiopod III with smooth segments and curved sharp simple dactylus. Exopod of uropod with distolateral tooth; distolateral movable spine absent.

Remarks. — The species clearly differs from all species of the genus Pontonides [see Marin 2007] by the presence of an upper endite on the maxilla and a well marked exopod on maxilliped I. The species shows several morphological features uniting it with Veleronia serratifrons , such as the basal antennular segment without additional lateral projection; the scaphocerite with a distinct distolateral tooth; the presence of a welldeveloped single, upper endite on the maxilla; the presence of a fixed tooth and the absence of a movable spine on the exopod of the uropods; and a similar structure of the palm and fingers of pereiopod II. The characteristic knob on the eye is only present in large females and completely absent in smaller specimens (males and females), and can thus not be considered a diagnostic feature.

Distribution. — Known from the Galapagos Islands and Clipperton Atoll; shallow waters, associated with black coral Antipathes galapagensis ( De Ridder & Holthuis 1979; Wicksten & Hernández 2000; J. Poupin, pers. comm.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Veleronia sympathes (De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov., holotype female, general view. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Veleronia sympathes (De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov., holotype female (A, B, E), paratype female (D, F – H), paratype male (C). A – D, carapace. E, eyes. F – G, antennula. H, antenna. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Veleronia sympathes (De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov., paratype female. A, mandible. B, distal margin of incisor process of mandible. C, maxillula. D, maxilla. E, maxilliped I. F, maxilliped II. G, maxilliped III. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Veleronia sympathes (De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov., paratype female (A – F), paratype male (G – I). A, pereiopod I. B, chela of pereiopod I. C, chela of pereiopod I, distal margin of dactylus. D, pereiopod III. E, dactylus of pereiopod III. F, distal margin of exopod of uropod. G, appendix masculina. H, major pereiopod II. I, minor pereiopod II. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Veleronia sympathes (De Ridder & Holthuis, 1979) comb. nov., holotype female. A, major pereiopod II. B, minor pereiopod II. C, chela of minor pereiopod II. D, chela of major pereiopod II. E – F, fingers of major pereiopod II. Scale 1 mm.