Garthambrus cidaris (Garth & Davie, 1995)

Mclay, Colin L., 2009, Revision of the crab genus Garthambrus Ng, 1996, with the description of two new genera and discussion of the status of Tutankhamen Rathbun, 1925 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Parthenopidae), Zootaxa 2122, pp. 1-50 : 12

Garthambrus cidaris (Garth & Davie, 1995)

( Fig. 10 A)

Parthenope (Platylambrus) cidaris Garth & Davie, 1995: 223 , figs 1, 2A.

Garthambrus cidaris — Ng 1996: 159. – Ng & Tan 1999: 122 (key). – Davie 2002: 387 (list).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: female 52.8 x 36.1 mm (QM W 16086), Australia, northeast Queensland, Coral Sea, CIDARIS II, stn 23–4, 14º52’S, 145º46’E, 685 m, epibenthic sledge 9 Sep 1988.

Diagnosis. Carapace tuberculate, not spinose, without deep lacunae; supra-orbital region not spinose. Tubercles on protogastric, mesogastric, epibranchial, mesobranchial, cardiac regions not fused to form smooth ridges or plates. Frontal projection short, less than one quarter carapace length. Tips of epibranchial margin teeth sharp. Mesobranchial margin without raised, smooth triangular patch. Sub-orbital spine produced, extending beyond anterior outer corner of antennal article 2. Sub-branchial region densely tuberculate. Cheliped merus, outer margins of carpus tuberculate, tubercle tips sharp. P5 merus, carpus, upper margins of propodus tuberculate; merus, carpus, posterior surface of propodus tuberculate; tubercles very small, low. Sternal sutures 4/5, 5/6, 6/7, 7/8 all interrupted. Male unknown.

Distribution. Currently still only represented by the single female specimen from Queensland, Australia.

Remarks. Garth & Davie (1995) compared G. cidaris with G. stellatus when they described the former species, and noted that it lacks the stellate tubercles of G. stellatus . They also noted that the epibranchial ridge is more swollen, that the branchiocardiac groove is deeper than in G. stellatus , and that the lateral tooth is spatulate. The lateral tooth is not spatulate in G. stellatus , but triangular.

Garthambrus cidaris is closer to G. poupini than to G. stellatus . Garthambrus cidaris can be differentiated from G. poupini by having sharp-tipped teeth on the outer margins of the chelipeds The teeth on the epibranchial margin also have sharp tips in G. cidaris , but these are blunt in G. poupini .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Garthambrus cidaris (Garth & Davie, 1995): A, holotype, female 52.8 x 36.1 mm (QM W 16086), Australia, northeast Queensland. — Garthambrus complanatus (Rathbun, 1906): B, lectotype, male 17.3 x 12.7 mm (USNM 29845 a), Hawaiian Is, Kauai.