Kemponia tenuipes ( Borradaile, 1898 ) Borradaile, 1898

Bruce, A. J., 2004, A partial revision of the genus Periclimenes Costa, 1884 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae), Zootaxa 582, pp. 1-26 : 19-20

Kemponia tenuipes ( Borradaile, 1898) comb. nov.

Periclimenes tenuipes Borradaile, 1898: 384 .

Periclimenes (Ancylocaris) tenuipes — Kemp, 1922: 220 –224, pl. 8, fig. 11. Periclimenes (Harpilius) tenuipes — Holthuis, 1952: 84 –85.

Periclimenes tenuipes — Bruce, 1978b: 261 –264, figs 6A, 7. — Li, 2000: 240 –241, fig. 319.

Type material. Holotype ɗ, ZMC I.9594.7.

Type locality. Ralun, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Habitat. Coral reefs. Also common in intertidal pools ( Bruce and Coombes, 1997).

Bathymetric range. Intertidal to 105–160 m ( Bruce, 1996). The record from 100 m in De Grave (2000) is erroneus (? 10 m, De Grave, pers. com., 16­2­04).

Distribution. Also known from Jordan, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, La Réunion, Seychelle Islands, Maldive Islands, Sri Lanka, Andaman Islands, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Hibernia Reef, Timor Sea, Northern Territory, Queensland, New Caledonia, Caroline Islands, and Marshall Islands.

Remarks. Kemp (1922) included Periclimenes (Falciger) kolumadulensis Borradaile, 1915 , in the synonymy of Periclimenes (Ancylocaris) tenuipes . This was followed by Holthuis (1952) and Bruce (1978c: 264–264, fig.6AB) and other authors. Photographs in recent publications have shown that a morphologically similar species with a completely different colour pattern occurs in the central Pacific region, which suggests that the synonymization may have been premature. Periclimenes kolumadulensis (holotype, ZMC I.9594.3) has been reported only from the type locality, Kolumadulu Atoll, Maldive Islands ( Debelius, 2001: 188, Periclimenes cf. tenuipes , Sulawesi, Indonesia) and its life colouration is unknown. In addition to the colouration, the morphology of the second pereiopods may distinguish the species. The fingers of the second pereiopod chelae of P. kolumadulensis ( Bruce, 1978b, fig. 6BC) are markedly different from most specimens of P. tenuipes and have been previously attributed to normal growth variation but this may not be correct. Further fresh specimens with colour photos are necessary to clarify the situation. Most specimens of K. tenuipes appear to be collected under circumstances that suggest a free­living lifestyle. However, Read (1974) reported associations with anemones in Palau.