Plesionika sanctaecatalinae Wicksten, 1983

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 106

Plesionika sanctaecatalinae Wicksten, 1983

( Fig. 26A)

Plesionika sp. — Ebeling et al. 1970: 12.

Plesionika martia semilaevis Wicksten 1978b: 85 , fig. 1. — Méndez 1981: 104, pl. 18, figs. 316–317 [not Plesionika semilaevis Bate, 1888 , Indo-West Pacific species].

Plesionika sanctaecatalinae Wicksten, 1983: 138 , figs. 1–3; 2003: 137. — Hendrickx & Wicksten 1989: 80, fig. 7. — Hendrickx & Estrada-Navarrete 1996: 133, fig. 82.

Diagnosis. Rostrum long, thin, exceeding scaphocerite, with 2 minute dorsal spines, 8–12 ventral teeth. One–3 tiny spinules on dorsal midline of carapace posterior to rostrum. Dorsal midline slightly convex posterior to rostrum for about half of carapace length. Carapace with small antennal, branchiostegal teeth and minute punctae. Eyes large, cornea not reaching end of first segment of antennular peduncle. First segment of antennular peduncle longest. Stylocerite longer than cornea of eye. Flagella long, slender. Second antennae with scaphocerite 6.5 times as long as wide, lateral tooth exceeding blade. Basicerite with sharp point on lateral margin, carpocerite reaching first segment of antennular peduncle. Third maxilliped with exopod, epipod. Pereopods 1, 2 with epipods. Pereopod 1 minutely chelate. Pereopods 2 about equal in length, with 15–18 carpal articles. Pereopods 3–5 long, thread-like. Merus of pereopod 3, with 10–14 spines; merus of pereopod 4, with 6–11 spines; merus of pereopod 5, with 4–7 spines. Abdomen lightly punctate. Posterior margin of somite 3 overhanging somite 4. Pleura of somites 1, 2 rounded, pleuron of somite 3 subquadrate, pleura of somites 4, 5 narrowly rounded. Length of somite 6 about twice length of somite 5. Telson shorter than somite 6, with 3 pairs small dorsolateral spines, 2 pairs terminal spines. Total length 70–75 mm.

Color in life. Scarlet.

Habitat and depth. Pelagic, 500–4000 m.

Range. Santa Barbara I., California to Peru. Type locality off Santa Catalina I. , California .