Ovalipes molleri ( Ward, 1933 )

Ahyong, Shane T., 2008, Deepwater crabs from seamounts and chemosynthetic habitats off eastern New Zealand (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1708 (1), pp. 1-72 : 60-61

Ovalipes molleri ( Ward, 1933)

( Fig. 5B )

Aeneacancer molleri Ward, 1933: 381 , pl. 23: fig. 11 [type locality: S of Montague Island, New South Wales, Australia]. — McNeill 1953: 93, pl. 7: figs 1–2.

Ovalipes molleri . — Stepheson & Rees 1968: 237–239, fig. 1H, 2G, 3G, 4G, pl. 37A, 40B, 41B, 42H. — McLay 1988: 210, fig. 46. — Davie 2002: 460–461. — Naylor et al. 2005: 26–27. — Ahyong et al. 2007: 173.

Ovalipes ? molleri . — Clark & O’Shea 2001: 15.

Material examined. Main Cavalli Seamount: NIWA 3582 , 2 males (cl 25.0 mm; 1 damaged), 34°04.32– 04.74’S, 174°04.08–04.75’E, 630– 560 m, KAH0204/21, 16 Apr 2002 ; NIWA 3583 , 5 males (cl 9.6–19.8 mm), 34°07.21–06.75’S, 174°05.64–06.01’E, 554– 540 m, KAH0204/27, 16 Apr 2002 .

Knights Terrace: NIWA 3581 , 1 male (cl 18.0 mm), 1 female (cl 31.0 mm), 34°57.81–58.44’S, 175°12.64–12.63’E, 614– 602 m, KAH0204/01, 13 Apr 2002 .

Rumble III Seamount: NIWA 13161 , 1 male (cl 48.6 mm), 35°44.03’S, 178°26.06’E, 216–460 m, KAH0011/21, 2 Nov 2000 .

Rangatira Knoll: NMNZ Cr7223, 1 male (cl 75.6 mm), 37°16.5’S, 176°52.6’E, 238 m, gill net, FV Francis, O. Pool .

Louisville Ridge: NMNZ, 1 ovigerous female (cl 42.0 mm), 38°26.1’S, 167°59’W, trip 823, tow 66, FV Will Watch, B. Rowe, 13 Jan 1995 .

Reserve Bank, Chatham Rise: NIWA 13151 , 1 male (cl 43.2 mm), 43°35’24”S, 179°44’36”E, 395 m, N0873, 18 Dec 1976 .

Remarks. Apart from O. molleri , two other species of Ovalipes are known from New Zealand waters: O. catharus ( White, 1843) (mainland) and O. elongatus Stephenson & Rees, 1968 (Kermadec Islands), both from shallow water. The dorsal spines on the cheliped dactyli ( Fig. 5B ) and iridescent sheen on the carapace and pereopods immediately distinguish O. molleri from O. catharus and O. elongatus . The only other New Zealand brachyuran with an iridescent dorsal sheen, the portunid, Nectocarcinus bennetti Takeda & Miyake, 1969 , differs in lacking a row of dorsal spines on the cheliped dactyli, and in bearing four instead of five ante- rolateral carapace spines. Additionally, N. bennetti generally lives at shallower depths: 20–480 m, but usually at 60–180 m ( McLay 1988; Ahyong et al. 2007). Ovalipes molleri is the only portunid presently known from New Zealand seamounts.

Distribution. Eastern Australia and New Zealand, from the Chatham Rise to the Louisville Ridge, outer Bay of Plenty and Cavalli seamounts; 70–630 m (Ahyong et al. 2007; this study).

Figures

FIGURE 5. A, Trichopeltarion fantasticum Richardson & Dell, 1964, male, cl 58.1 mm (NIWA 16492). B, Ovalipes molleri (Ward, 1933), male, cl 75.6 mm (NMNZ Cr7223). C, Gandalfus puia McLay, 2007, male holotype, cl 15.5 mm, cw 24.3 mm (NIWA 27855). D, Miersiograpsus australiensis Türkay, 1978, male, cl 11.4 mm, cw 11.8 mm (NIWA 29390). E, Xenograpsus ngatama McLay, 2007, male, cl 25.9 mm, cw 27.4 mm (NIWA 27854). F, Miersiella haswelli (Miers, 1886), male, cl 7.8 mm (NIWA 6760). C, E, after McLay (2007)