Scleroplax granulata Rathbun, 1893

Campos, Ernesto, 2006, Systematics of the genus Scleroplax Rathbun, 1893 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae), Zootaxa 1344, pp. 33-41 : 37-39

Scleroplax granulata Rathbun, 1893

Type locality. Ensenada, Baja California, México.

Previous known distribution and hosts. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to Punta Banda estuary, Ensenada, Baja California ( Bonfil et al. 1992; Campos & Wicksten 1997). In burrows of the echiuroid Urechis caupo Fisher & MacGinitie, 1928 , and the mud shrimps Neotrypaea californiensis ( Dana, 1854) , N. gigas ( Dana, 1852) (new host record), and Upogebia pugettensis ( Dana, 1852) .

Species Institution

Austinixa sp. UABC

Austinixa cristata ( Rathbun, 1900) USNM

Austinixa felipensis (Glassell, 1935) UABC

Glassella costaricana ( Wicksten, 1982) UABC AHF806

Indopinnixa sipunculana Manning and Morton, 1987 USNM221697, 222500

Pinnixa barnharti Rathbun, 1918 UABC, USNM31510, LACM35-

189.1

Pinnixa longipes (Lockington, 1876) USNM 110636

Pinnixa franciscana Rathbun, 1918 USNM 110633, 110671

Pinnixa tomentosa Lockington, 1877

Pinnixa littoralis Holmes, 1894 UABC

Pinnixa schmitti Rathbun, 1918 USNM

P. t u b i c o l a Holmes, 1894 USNM20860, UABC

Pinnixa scamit Martin and Zmarzly, 1994 USNM 267500, UABC

Pinnixa richardsoni Glassell, 1936 UABC

Pinnixa valerii Rathbun, 1931 UABC, EMU3769

Pinnixa darwini Garth, 1960 AHF 3812

Pinnixa trasversalis (H. Milne Edwards and Lucas, 1844) UABC

Pinnixa tumida Stimpson, 1858 UABC

Pinnixa cf. occidentalis Rathbun, 1893 EMU 1416

Pinnixa pembertoni Glassell, 1935 UABC

Pinnixa valdiviensis Rathbun, 1907 UABC (Photographs)

Tetrias scabripes Rathbun, 1898 EMU-

Pinnixa sp. EMU-842

Scleroplax granulata Rathbun, 1898 UABC, USNM17497

Scleroplax sp. UABC

Material examined ( UABC), new range and host: 10 males, 10 females, Punta Banda estuary, Ensenada, Baja California, 16 May 2006; in burrows of Neotrypea californiansi s and N. gigas (new host record) and 1 male, 1 female, same locality and date; in burrows of U. macginiteorum Williams, 1986 (new host record); 55 males, 54 females (24 ovigerous), 15–17 July 1999 and 6 males, 18 females (8 ovigerous), 16 September 1999, El Coyote estuary, Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, México; in burrows of N. californiansi s and N. gigas .

Remarks. The present records extend the distribution of S. granulata about 1000 km southward, from Ensenada, Baja California to El Coyote estuary, Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, México and N. gigas as a new host. Hendrickx (1984, 1995), with some hesitation, recorded S. granulata as occurring in Estero El Verde, Sinaloa, México. The identification of the female specimen (EMU-842) on which Hendrickx based his report shows that it is instead an undescribed species of Pinnixa . The tip of the maxilliped dactylus of the new species clearly overreaches the tip of the propodus ( Fig. 1 D), the flat carapace is transversally subrectangular and the WL3 is much longer than the other legs.

Scleroplax granulata is a common commensal in the middle and low intertidal mud burrows of the echiurid Urechis caupo and the mud shimps N. californiensis , N. gigas and U. pugettensis ( Garth & Abbott, 1980; present paper). Ricketts et al. (1985) recorded S. granulata in burrows of Upogebia sp., at Punta Banda estuary, Ensenada, Baja California, México. In this locality S. granulata has been collected in burrows of the only species of Upogebia , U. macginiteorum (see, Campos & Campos, 1989). Other crab species that live in burrows of the same hosts include Pinnixa franciscana Rathbun, 1918 , and P. schmitti Rathbun, 1918 ( Zmarzly 1992) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A – C Scleroplax granulata Rathbun, 1893 (female, cl 4.2 mm, cb 6.0 mm., El Coyote estuary, Abreojos Point, Baja California Sur, México, UABC); D) Pinnixa sp. (female, cb = 6.0 mm, El Verde estuary, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, EMU- 842; E) Auxtinixa cristata Rathbun, 1900, (male cb 6.3 mm., St. Lucie, Florida, USA, USNM). A, E) dorsal view; B) WL 1 – 4; C – D) MXP 3. Illustrations not to scale. Dotted lines indicate the setae of the propodus and dactylus. (E from Manning and Felder, 1989).