Pachycheles sculptus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837 )

Osawa, Masayuki, 2007, Porcellanidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, Zootaxa 1548, pp. 1-49 : 20

Pachycheles sculptus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)

Porcellana sculpta H. Milne Edwards, 1837: 253 (type locality: Java).

Porcellana pisum H. Milne Edwards, 1837: 254 (type locality: China).

Porcellana pulchella Haswell, 1882: 758 (type locality: Holborn Island and Port Molle, Australia).

Pachycheles sculptus var. tuberculatus Borradaile, 1900: 423 (type locality: Lifu, Loyalty Islands).

Pachycheles sculptus .— Haig, 1966b: 286, 287; 1992: 310, fig. 7.— Nakasone & Miyake, 1968a: 61, fig. 1, pl. 5, figs. 1– 3.

Pachycheles pisum .— Yang & Sun, 1992: 200, figs. 6, 7.

Material examined. New Caledonia. Amédée, lagoon, low tide, coll. C. Vadon, 17 Sep. 1978, 1 male CL 3.6 mm.

Loyalty Islands. Lifou Island. Santal Bay. Atelier LIFOU. St. 1435 (St. 18), Lefèvre (= Nem), 20°55.2’S, 167°00.7’E, 5–30 m, 8 Nov. 2000, 1 male CL 3.2 mm. St. 1410 (St. 63A), between Cap Wekutr and Cap Wajez, 20°56.7’S, 167°03.1’E, 2–4 m, 25 Nov. 2000, 1 male CL 1.7 mm, 1 female CL 2.1 mm, 2 ovig. females CL 2.7, 3.5 mm. St. 1410 (St. 63B), between Cap Wekutr and Cap Wajez, 20°56.7’S, 167°03.1’E, 2–4 m, 25 Nov. 2000, 1 male CL 2.9 mm.

Remarks. The taxonomy and intraspecific variations of this species are discussed by Haig (1964). The variations of the ornamentation on the chelipeds are illustrated by Nakasone & Miyake (1968a).

Ortmann (1892) reported this species (as Pisosoma sculptum ) from Amami-oshima Island of the Ryukyus. Komai (1999) examined this specimen and re-identified it as P. garciaensis ( Ward, 1942) . Nevertheless, specimens that key to P. sculptus have been collected from the Ryukyu Islands (personal observation). The specimens from the Ryukyus have more slender ambulatory legs (especially propodi) than hitherto illustrated material and specimens examined from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, and may also have different coloration in life. To confirm the identity of the Ryukyu specimens, re-examination of the type material of species currently placed in the synonymy with P. sculptus is needed.

Distribution. Indian Ocean: Seychelles, Mergui Archipelago, Western Australia. Malay Peninsula northward to Ryukyu Islands; Indonesia southward to northern and eastern Australia, and eastward to Tuamotu Archipelago; littoral to 180 m, in coral blocks ( Haig 1983).