Callipallene

Arango, Claudia P., 2009, New species and new records of sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) from deep waters in Western Australia, Zootaxa 1977, pp. 1-20 : 12

Callipallene sp.

Material examined: J54991 ( NMV), 1 young adult, no genital pores visible. 21 November 2005, Mentelle, Western Australia, CSIRO station 015-120, collected by Sherman sled from 33.9800°S 114.7340°E to 33.9837°S 114.7350°E, soft bottom, 97 m.

Remarks: This is a young specimen with no visible genital pores and no apophysis on the oviger that could indicate a male. The specimen has smooth body and a very constricted short neck; the chelae fingers are straight, the movable finger has eight denticulations, the immovable finger has crenulations on the distal half; the ovigers are developed, segments 8–10 subequal, with compound spines in the formula 3:4:2:4; auxiliary claws are half as long as the propodus. Because of the severe constriction of the neck and lack of spines, this specimen could be the same species as the unidentified Callipallene in Bamber (2005), however, the apparent subadult stage of the material and the morphological variation known in the genus make further description ineffective. Callipallene specimens in South East Australia have been traditionally assigned to C. micracantha ( C. emaciata micracantha Stock, 1954 ) or C. novaezealandiae ( C. brevirostris novaezealandiae Stock, 1954 ), but in general Callipallene species [except C. catulus ( Lee & Arango 2003) , a tiny form from North Queensland] in Australia need to be formally recognized and described.