Pseudocaprellina pambanensis Sundara Raj, 1927

Zeina, Amr F. & Guerra, José M., 2016, Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, with the redescription of Metaprotella africana and Paradeutella multispinosa, Zootaxa 4098 (2), pp. 227-253 : 229-232

Pseudocaprellina pambanensis Sundara Raj, 1927

( Fig. 2 )

Pseudocaprellina pambanensis Sundara Raj, 1927 , p. 127, pl. 17; Sivaprakasam, 1977, p. 80–82, figs. 1,2; Laubitz, 1995, p. 85, fig. 1; Guerra-García, 2002a, p. 221–223, fig. 1–4; Guerra-García, 2004, p. 13–15, fig. 12; Krapp-Schickel & Guerra- García, 2005, p. 48–50, fig. 1; Zeina & Abou Zaid, 2013, p. 226–230, figs. 2–4; Momtazi & Sari, 2013, p. 216–218, figs. 15,16.

Material examined. Sta. 7: 3 specimens associated with Galaxaura sp, turf algae and hydroids (1 male and 1 female used for drawings); sta. 8: 46 specimens associated with Halimeda sp, Laurancia obtusa and Halimeda macroloba ; sta. 9: 13 specimens associated with Jania rubens, Palisada perorata, Digenia simplex and Halimeda sp; sta. 10: 139 specimens associated with Jania rubens, Palisada perorata, Digenia simplex, Sargassum dentifolium , Sargassum latifolium , Galaxaura sp, Dictyota dichotoma, Caulerpa serrulata and Codium dichotomum ; sta. 1 3: 2 specimens associated with Dictyota dichotoma ; sta. 14: 38 specimens associated with Dictyota dichotoma , Sargassum dentifolium , Sargassum latifolium , Galaxaura sp, Jania rubens , Codium dichotomum , Polysiphonia sp and Laurancia obtusa; sta. 17: 1 specimen associated with Codium dichotomum .

Remarks. The species was described by Sundara Raj (1927) based on two male specimens from Pamban bridge, India. Sivaprakasam (1977) described the female, also from Southern India. Laubitz (1995) figured specimens collected from St. Paul and Amsterdan islands. Guerra-Garcia (2002a) described material from Tanzania, which was in agreement with the descriptions of Sundara Raj (1927) and Sivaprakasam (1977) from India, except for the presence of 3 instead of 2 grasping spines in the female propodus palm of gnathopod 2, and variations of the number of teeth in incisor and lacinia mobilis of the mandible. Guerra-Garcia (2004) figured material from Western Australia, and Krapp -Schickel & Guerra-Garcia (2005) provided illustrations of specimens from Indonesia, indicating that the species is probably distributed through the whole Indian Ocean.

Zeina & Abou Zaid (2013) described in detail a female of P. pambanensis collected from the Red Sea and they pointed some minor differences in the number of setae of mandibular palp and maxilla 2 between the material from the Red Sea and Tanzanian specimens. In the present study we include also the lateral view figure of a male specimen collected from the Red Sea ( Fig. 2 ). Momtazi & Sari (2013) figured P. pambanensis from the Gulf of Oman. Although the authors reported that the material agrees well with previously studied material by Guerra - Garcia (2002a), they point out some variations in the setal formula (1-3-1 instead of 1-2-1) and the degree of pilosity of lower lip.

On the other hand, specimens from the Red Sea (Zeina & Abou Zaid, 2013, present study) and St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands (Laubitz, 1995), have distinct anterolateral projections on pereonites 2 and 3, which seem to be absent or scarcely developed in the material from the other localities. In some specimens examined during the present study (e.g. Fig. 2 ) these projections are not so clear, so it could be intraespecific variation in shape and size of these lateral projections depending on the ontogenetic development of the specimens.

The comparison between the specimens from the Red Sea and those from the type locality is difficult since the figures of the original description of Sundara Raj (1927) are incomplete and lack details. The female described by Sivaprakasam (1977) from the same locality is very similar to the females collected during the present study, apart from the suture between head and pereonite 1, which seem to be more marked in the material from India. Unfortunately, Guerra-Garcia et al. (2010) did not found specimens of this species during their collections in Southern India, and a detailed redescription based on newly collected material of this species from the type locality is still lacking. This redescription is necessary to confirm the distribution of P. pambanensis through the whole Indian Ocean.

Additionally, Guerra-Garcia (2004) discussed the differences between Pseudocaprellina and Caprellina and evaluated the validity of some diagnostic characters for species of the close genera Caprellina , Pseudocaprellina , Hircella and Liriarchus . The phylogenetic relationships among the species of this group of genera should be further investigated in detail to explore constant morphological differences among species to clarify the delimitation and diagnosis of valid genera and species. In this sense, a molecular approach could help to understand the species status.

Distribution. Type locality: Gulf of Mannar (Sundara Raj, 1927; Sivaprakasam, 1977).

Other records: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (Laubitz, 1995); Bahari Beach, Tanzania ( Guerra-Garcia, 2002a); Rottnest Island, Kalbarri and West Wallaby Island, Western Australia ( Guerra-Garcia, 2004); Bali, Indonesia (Krapp -Schickel & Guerra-Garcia, 2005); Hurghada coastal area, Egypt (Zeina & Abou Zaid, 2013, present study); Djod, Gulf of Oman ( Momtazi & Sari, 2013).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lateral view figures of a male and female of Pseudocaprellina pambanensis.