Homola mieensis Sakai, 1979

Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2008, New western Pacific records of Homolidae De Haan, 1839, with descriptions of new species of Homolochunia Doflein, 1904, and Latreillopsis Henderson, 1888 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1967, pp. 1-35 : 5

Homola mieensis Sakai, 1979

( Fig. 1A, C)

Homola mieensis Sakai, 1979: 3 , fig. 1c, 3b, pl. frontispiece, fig. 2. — Guinot & Richer de Forges 1981: 531, 534, fig. 2 D, pl. 2, fig. 3, 3a–b, pl. 8, fig. 2, 2a. — Guinot & Richer de Forges 1995: 335, fig. 9h, 11 a–b, 13c. – Ng et al. 2001: 6, fig. 1A. — Ng et al. 2008: 40.

Material examined. New Caledonia: CONCALIS cruise, stn. DW 2997, New Caledonia , 18°01.98’S 163°01.51’E, 430–438 m, 6 May 2008: 1 male (27.9 x 21.7 mm) ( ZRC 2008.0978 ) .

Remarks. Homola mieensis is a relatively large-size species but rarely recorded. Described from Sagami Bay in Japan ( Sakai 1979), it has been found in Taiwan ( Ng et al. 2001) and New Caledonia ( Guinot & Richer de Forges 1981, 1995). The species has a very distinctive colour pattern ( Ng et al. 2001: Fig. 1A). Compared to congeners, the subhepatic spine is proportionately longer and stronger than the anterolateral one, pointing anteriorly and diverging only slightly. There are no fissures at the extremity of the rostrum on the male specimen on hand; it appears to be single. Very few specimens of H. mieensis are known because its preferred habitat appears to be steep rocky slopes. The material from Loyalty Islands off New Caledonia ( Guinot & Richer de Forges 1981, 1995) was caught by traps and the present specimen from the north of New Caledonia by dredging. The dredge is generally used when the bottom is too rough or too steep for trawling.