Dicranodromia danielae Ng & McLay, 2005

Ng, Peter K. L. & Yang, Chien-Hui, 2021, On two new species of deep-sea carrier crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura, Homolodromiidae, Dicranodromia) from Taiwan and the Philippines, with notes on other Indo-West Pacific species, ZooKeys 1072, pp. 129-165 : 129

Dicranodromia danielae Ng & McLay, 2005

Figure 12

Dicranodromia danielae Ng & McLay, 2005: 40, figs 1-4; Ng and Naruse 2007: 47, fig. 3c; Ng et al. 2008: 39.

Material examined.

Philippines: holotype ovigerous ♀ (broken, 10.8 × 14.2 mm), Balicasag Island, Panglao, Bohol, Visayas , in tangle nets, ca. 200-300 m, coll. local shell fishermen, 2 Mar. 2004 (ZRC 2005.0094) .

Remarks.

The broken holotype female was re-examined and some characters need to be added or amended from Ng and McLay (2005). Ng and Naruse (2007: fig. 3c) had already noted that the P5 dactylus has a distinct spine on the extensor margin (Fig. 12F, G ); but in addition, the P5 propodus has three spines on the outer surface (Fig. 12G ). The P2 and P3 meri were described being unarmed but this is not correct. The extensor margin has low spines while the flexor margin has a row of slender spines partially covered by the dense stiff setae (Fig. 12D ). In addition, the basal antennal article is relatively short with the anteroexternal tooth long and subequal in length to the article (Fig. 12C ). In addition, the epistome of this species is unusual in that the distal part is strongly spinose, with the median lateral part possessing a sharp anteriorly directed tooth; and the rostrum consists of two lateral and one median slender spinules (Fig. 12B, C ). The merus of the third maxilliped is distinctive, being strongly spinose, with the inner margin lined with strong spines; the exopod is essentially unarmed (Fig. 12I ).

Some of the characters of D. danielae resemble the male specimen 9.7 × 14.0 mm from Uraga Strait in Japan (35°4.833'N, 139°38.3'E) which Guinot (1995: 207, fig. 11b) referred to " Dicranodromia aff. doederleini ". She described the carapace, proepistome, antennae, antennules, buccal frame, ventral surfaces and merus of the third maxilliped are being more spiny than typical D. doederleini even though the outer surface of the chela was smooth. The more spinous features of the specimen (notably the ventral surfaces, antennae, epistome and third maxillipeds), resemble the condition in D. danielae , but whether the flexor margin of the pereiopods of the specimen was also spinous was not stated. In addition, the carapace of D. danielae is less spinous compared to that figured by Guinot (1995: fig. 11b) for her " Dicranodromia aff. doederleini ". It would appear that this Japanese specimen is a species close to, but probably different from, D. danielae .

Figures

Figure 12. Dicranodromia danielae Ng & McLay, 2005, holotype ovigerous ♀ (broken, 10.8 x 14.2 mm) (ZRC 2005.0094), Philippines A dorsal view of carapace B frontal region showing rostrum C epistome, antennules, antennae and orbits D right chela E right P 3 F left P 5 G left P 5 propodus and dactylus H left P 4 propodus and dactylus I right third maxilliped.