Raoulia piroculata ( Rathbun, 1911 )

Ng, Peter K. L. & Rahayu, Dwi Listyo, 2014, Revision of the family Acidopsidae Števčić, 2005, and the systematic position of Typhlocarcinodes Alcock, 1900, Caecopilumnus Borradaile, 1902, and Raoulia Ng, 1987, with descriptions of two new genera and five new species (Crustacea: Brachyura: Goneplacoidea), Zootaxa 3773 (1), pp. 1-63 : 30-31

Raoulia piroculata ( Rathbun, 1911)

( Figs. 4A, B , 5D , 17 , 19A–E )

Typhlocarcinops piroculata Rathbun, 1911: 239 , pl. 20 figs. 1, 2.

Typhlocarcinodes piroculatus — Barnard 1955: 35, fig. 16.— Serène 1968: 92 (part).

Caecopilumnus piroculatus — Ng 1987: 93.— Ng et al. 2008: 143.

Material examined. Lectotype female (here designated) (7.3 × 5.5 mm) ( USNM 41359 a), Amirante Is., Indian Ocean, station E9, 34 fms (62.2 m), coll. J.S. Gardiner, H.M.S. Sealark, 9 October 1905 . Paralectotype female (5.9 × 4.5 mm) ( USNM 41359 b), same data as lectotype .

Diagnosis. Carapace width 1.3 times length ( Fig. 17A ). Junction between frontal, supraorbital margins appears gently curved in frontal view ( Fig. 17C ). Third maxilliped merus about 0.7 length of ischium; ischium rectangular, 1.3 times as long as broad ( Fig. 5D ). Ambulatory legs relatively longer; merus of last ambulatory leg about 3.1 times as long as broad ( Fig. 17A ). Male unknown.

Remarks. Raoulia limosa and R. piroculata closely resemble each other. Raoulia piroculata , however, can easily be separated from R. limosa by its longer pereopods ( Fig. 17A ; Figs. 13A , 14A , 15A for R. limosa ), having proportionately the longest ambulatory legs in the genus. In addition, R. piroculata has a relatively longer ischium of the third maxilliped ( Fig. 5D ; Figs. 5C , 16B for R. limosa ); and the junction of the frontal and supraorbital margin is gently curved ( Fig. 17C ) rather than at right angles in frontal view ( Figs. 13D , 14C for R. limosa ).

Barnard (1955: 35, fig. 16) described a male (11.0 × 8.5 mm) and a female (9.0 × 7.0 mm) from Delagoa Bay in South Africa. His figures (present Fig 19A–E ) leave no doubt this is also a species of Raoulia . Ng (1987) provisionally referred this record to R. limosa , but this is doubtful in view of the present revision of the genus. In terms of its distribution (western Indian Ocean), these specimens are more likely to be the real R. piroculata . The carapace width to length proportions of Barnard’s two specimens is about 1.3, the same to that observed for R. piroculata s. str. but the conditions of the diagnostic third maxillipeds and ambulatory legs are not known. The G1 figured by Barnard (see Fig. 19D, E ) seems to have the distal slender part relatively longer than the other congeners now recognised (notably R. limosa and R. galea sp. nov.).

Colour. Not known.

Distribution. Amirante Island and South Africa, western Indian Ocean; 62 m.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Female thoracic sterna, abdomens and vulvae. A, B, Raoulia piroculata (Rathbun, 1911), lectotype female (7.3 × 5.5 mm) (USNM 41359a), Amirante Is., Indian Ocean; C, D, Caecopilumnus crassipes (Tesch, 1918), female (13.0 × 11.0 mm) (MZB), Lombok, Indonesia; E, F, Thecaplax capillosa gen. et. sp. nov., paratype female (12.7 × 10.5 mm) (ZRC 2013.1714), Lombok, Indonesia; G, H, Typhlocarcinodes integrifrons (Miers, 1881), paralectotype female (7.0 × 5.4 mm) (NHM 81.24b), Goree I., Senegal.

FIGURE 5. Right third maxillipeds. A, Acidops cessacii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1878), syntype female (14.1 × 10.0 mm) (NHM 99.3.23.66) Cape Verde (laterally inverted); B, Parapilumnus cristimanus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873), male (16.3 × 12.5 mm) (ZRC 2003.90), Nansha Is. (Spratly Is.), South China Sea (laterally inverted); C, Raoulia limosa Ng, 1987, holotype male (8.3 × 6.3 mm) (ZMUC M58), off Marongas, Jolo, Philippines; D, Raoulia piroculata (Rathbun, 1911), lectotype female (7.3 × 5.5 mm) (USNM 41359a), Amirante Is., Indian Ocean; E, Raoulia galea sp. nov., holotype male (9.4 × 7.4 mm) (ZRC 2000.0980), Phuket, Thailand; F, Raoulia fortis sp. nov., holotype male (12.0 × 9.2 mm) (MNHN), Santo, Vanuatu (laterally inverted); G, Raoulia calva sp. nov., holotype male (6.6 × 5.2 mm) (ZRC 2013.1721), Society Is., French Polynesia; H, Caecopilumnus hirsutus (Borradaile, 1902), male (7.1 × 5.6 mm) (ZMA 261027), Flores, Indonesia (laterally inverted); I, Caecopilumnus crassipes (Tesch, 1918), male (11.8 × 10.1 mm) (ZRC 2013.1710) Lombok, Indonesia; J, Caecopilumnus loculatus sp. nov., holotype male (8.0 × 6.7 mm) (ZRC 2013.1723), Moorea, French Polynesia (laterally inverted); K, Thecaplax capillosa gen. et. sp. nov., holotype male (11.6 × 9.5 mm) (MZB), Lombok, Indonesia; L, Typhlocarcinodes integrifrons (Miers, 1881), lectotype male (8.5 × 6.9 mm) (NHM 81.24a), Goree I., Senegal.

FIGURE 13. Raoulia limosa Ng, 1987, holotype male (8.3 × 6.3 mm) (ZMUC M58), Jolo, Philippines. A, dorsal view; B, male abdomen; C, anterior thoracic sternum and sterno-abdominal cavity; D, frontal view of carapace; E, posterior thoracic sternum; F, outer view of right chela; G, outer view of left chela.

FIGURE 14. Raoulia limosa Ng, 1987, male (8.3 × 6.5 mm) (ZRC 2013.1703), Lombok, Indonesia. A, dorsal view; B, anterior thoracic sternum and sterno-abdominal cavity; C, frontal view of carapace; D, posterior thoracic sternum; E, outer view of right chela; F, outer view of left chela.

FIGURE 15. Raoulia limosa Ng, 1987, male (4.8 × 3.5 mm) (ZMA 240126), Talaut Is., Philippines. A, dorsal view; B, anterior thoracic sternum and sterno-abdominal cavity.

FIGURE 16. Raoulia limosa Ng, 1987. A–H, holotype male (8.3 × 6.3 mm) (ZMUC M58), Jolo, Philippines; I, female (9.5 × 7.3 mm) (ZRC 2013.1705), Lombok, Indonesia. A, male abdomen; B, left third maxilliped; C, frontal view of carapace showing antennules, antennae, epistome and orbit; D, E, left G1; F, G, distal part of left G1; H, left G2; I, female abdomen. Scales: A–C, I = 1.0 mm; D, E, H = 0.5 mm; F, G = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Raoulia piroculata (Rathbun, 1911), lectotype female (7.3 × 5.5 mm) (USNM 41359a), Amirante Is., Indian Ocean. A, dorsal view; B, anterior thoracic sternum and sterno-abdominal cavity; C, frontal view of carapace; D, posterior thoracic sternum; E, outer view of right chela; F, outer view of left chela.

FIGURE 19. A–E, Raoulia piroculata (Rathbun, 1911), male (11.0 × 8.5 mm), South Africa; F–L, Raoulia galea sp. nov., holotype male (9.4 × 7.4 mm) (ZRC 2000.0980), Phuket, Thailand. A, male abdomen; B, left third maxilliped; C, D, left G1; E, F, distal part of left G1; G, left G2. Scales: A, B = 1.0 mm; C, D, G = 0.5 mm; E, F = 0.1 mm. A–E after Barnard (1955: fig. 16).