Polyonyx pedalis Nobili, 1905

Osawa, Masayuki, 2007, Porcellanidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, Zootaxa 1548, pp. 1-49 : 37-38

Polyonyx pedalis Nobili, 1905

Polyonyx pedalis Nobili, 1905: 396 ; 1906: 137, pl. 8, fig. 3 (type locality: Djibouti, Red Sea).— Haig, 1964: 381.— Osawa, 2007: 27 , fig. 3.

Material examined. New Caledonia. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 22°19.61’S, 166°24.07’E, 10 m, 14 Nov. 1995, coll. I. Takeuchi, 1 male CL 4.5 mm. Nouville, lagoon, 18–20 m, tube of Eunicidae , 1 Apr. 1993, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 male CL 3.5 mm. Grande Rade, lagoon, 10–11 m, 14 Apr. 1993, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 female CL 3.3 mm. Lagoon, St. DW1235, 22°24.08’S, 166°55.44’E, 51 m, 9 Mar. 1993, coll. B. Richer de Forges, 1 female CL 4.9 mm. South of Grand Récif, St. 572, 22°52’S, 167°00’E, 65 m, 12 Jun. 1985, coll. B. Richer de Forges/ ORSTOM, 1 female CL 5.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1376, 18°27.2’S, 163°09.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 female CL 4.4 mm.

Remarks. Polyonyx pedalis is unique among members of the P. sinensis group, as defined by Johnson (1958) in having numerous small spines on the flexor margins of the meri of the ambulatory legs. All the male specimens examined lack gonopods as noted by Haig (1964) in juvenile specimens.

Osawa (2007) provided the illustrations of a specimen examined of P. pedalis and discussed the distinctions between this species and its close relative, P. s p i n a Osawa, 2007.

Distribution. Previously known from Red Sea and Kei Islands to a depth of about 50 m ( Haig 1964). The present record of the species from New Caledonia greatly extends its distribution to the southwestern Pacific. The specimens examined were obtained from the depths of 10–65 m in New Caledonia.