Galathea algae Baba, 1969

Macpherson, Enrique & Robainas-Barcia, Aymee, 2015, Species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with descriptions of 92 new species, Zootaxa 3913 (1), pp. 1-335 : 37-38

Galathea algae Baba, 1969

( Fig. 8 )

Galathea algae Baba, 1969b: 11 , fig. 2 (type locality: Tosa Bay, 27 m [holotype, male, ZLKU 7046]). Not Galathea algae . –– Baba 1979b: 646 (Gorong Island and Marsegu Island, Moluccas, subtidal) (= G. leporis n. sp.). Dubious identifications:

Galathea algae Baba, 1977a: 248 (Obi latoe, Ternate, and Seychelles, 0–4 m).— Baba, 1982b: 59 ( Palau Islands and Yap Island, subtidal).— Peyrot-Clausade, 1989: 112 (Tuamotu Archipelago, 5–30 m).— Poupin, 1996: 20 (compilation of French Polynesia records).

Material examined. Holotype: Japan. Off Tosa, Shimizu, Tosa Bay, 27 m, in seabeds, June 1959: 1 M 4.2 mm ( ZLKU 7046).

Paratype: Japan. Off Tosa, Shimizu, Tosa Bay, 27 m, in seabeds, June 1959: 1 F 4.1 mm ( ZLKU 7046).

Remarks. This species was described by Baba (1969), but was later synomized with G. spinosorostris (cf. Baba et al. 2008). However, the examination of the type material from Japan, and a comparison with the topotypic material of G. spinosorostris Dana 1852 from Hawaii (see also Remarks of this latter species) indicates that both species can be distinguished by morphologically and they should be considered as separate species. The two species can be distinguished by the following constant characters:

- The P1 movable finger has a row of well-developed marginal spines in G. spinosorostris , whereas this finger is unarmed in G. algae .

- The posteromedian margin of the abdominal somite 6 is convex in G. spinosorostris , instead of transverse in G. algae .

Galathea algae is also closely related to G. cephyra n. sp. from New Caledonia and G. e u l i m e n e n. sp. from the western Indian Ocean (see below under Remarks of these species).

No molecular data are available from G. algae .

Distribution. So far known only from Japan, Tosa Bay, 27 m.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Galathea algae Baba, 1969, A, B, paratype, female, 4.1 mm; C, holotype, male, 4.2 mm, Japan (ZLKU 7046). A, right P 2, lateral view; B, C, right P 4, lateral view. Scale = 1 mm.