Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884

Cardoso, Irene & Contents, Paulo Young Table Of, 2005, Deep-sea Oplophoridae (Crustacea Caridea) from the southwestern Brazil, Zootaxa 1031 (1), pp. 1-76 : 14-20

Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884

( Figs 8–13 )

Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884: 376 ; 1886: 63, pl. 14, fig. 1.

Acanthephyra angusta Bate, 1888: 737 , pl.12, fig. 6.

Acanthephyra edwardsii Bate, 1888: 747 , pl. 124, fig. 1; Moreira, 1901: 10.

Acanthephyra brachytelsonis Bate, 1888: 753 , pl. 126, fig. 7.

Acanthephyra eximia – Crosnier & Forest, 1973: 34, fig. 7c–d; Chace, 1986: 18, figs 2j, 4j, 5j, 6h, 9A; Ramos & Coelho, 1988: 326; Tavares, 1999: 675.

Material examined: Revizee Program: D­0503, 19°39’S, 38°38’W, 740m, 3 females (22.5 to 34mm), MNRJ 13771 ; D­0504, 19°42’S, 38°36’W, 278m, 1 ovigerous female (41mm), 5 females (38 to 44.5mm), MNRJ 13772 ; D­0505, 19°43’S, 38°38’W, 1089m, 1 female (34mm), 1 male (21mm), MNRJ 13773 ; D0506, 19°42’S, 38°36’W, 1067m, 5 females (25 to 42mm), 1 male (27mm), MNRJ 13774 ; E­0535, 19°58'S, 39°35'W, 1002m, 23 ovigerous females (31 to 43mm), 20 females (20 to 46mm), 18 males (21 to 40mm), MNRJ 14821 ; E­0548, 21°28’S, 39°40’W, 1799m, 1 ovigerous female (40mm), 1 male (21.5mm), MNRJ 14822 ; E­0527, 19°50’S, 39°10’W, 1402m, 1 female (39mm), 2 males (42, 45mm), MNRJ 14823 ; E­0552, 21°07’S, 39°46’W, 1694m, 1 male (35mm), MNRJ 14824 ; E­0505, 14°36’S, 38°49’W, 1089m, 1 ovigerous female (38mm), 2 females (38, 26mm), 1 male (25mm), MNRJ 14825 ; E­0507, 15°08’S, 38°40’W, 1026m, 1 ovigerous female (39mm), 2 females (26, 28mm), 1 male (44 mm), MNRJ 14826 ; E­0524, 19°43’S, 38°39’W, 925m, 4 females (32 to39mm), 3 males (23 to 32mm), MNRJ 14827 ; E­0523, 19°42’S, 38°32’W, 922m, 3 ovigerous females (36.5 to 44mm), 4 females (38 to 41mm), MNRJ 14828 ; E­0544, 21°24’S, 40°02’W, 1159m, 7 males (38 to 42mm), MNRJ 14829 ; E ­0512, 15°50’S, 38°02’W, 1043m, 1 female (26mm), 4 males (22 to 39mm), MNRJ 14830 ; E­0506, 14°36’S, 38°49’W, 1067m, 1 ovigerous female (39mm), 17 females (21 to 38mm), 11 males (25 to 41mm), MNRJ 14831 ; E­0536, 20°24’S, 39°46’W, 1293m, 1 ovigerous female (32mm), 2 females (37, 41mm), 4 males (40.5 to 42.5mm), MNRJ 14832 ; E0538, 19°45’S, 39°03’W, 1237m, 1 ovigerous female (42mm), 3 males (30 to 43mm), MNRJ 14833 ; E­0537, 20°26’S, 39°41’W, 1545m, 1 juvenile (18mm), MNRJ 14834 ; E­0517, 13°22’S, 38°36’W, 750m, 1 ovigerous female (38mm), 6 females (30 to 39mm), 2 males (31, 36mm), MNRJ 14836 ; E­0550, 21°26’S, 39°49’W, 1598m, 1 ovigerous female (44mm), 2 males (41, 44mm), MNRJ 14838 ; E­0529, 19°48’S, 39°02’W, 1639m, 1 ovigerous female (41mm), 3 males (38 to 43mm), MNRJ 14839 ; E­ 0525, 20°08’S, 38°38’W, 1 ovigerous female (42mm), 1 male (32mm), MNRJ 14840 ; E­ 0522, 13°30’S, 38°38’W, 1144m, 4 ovigerous females (32 to 40mm), 3 females (28 to 34mm), 1 male (39mm), MNRJ 14844 ; E­0496, 13°17’S, 38°17’W, 1717m, 1 female (22mm), MNRJ 14846 ; E­0526, 20°06’S, 38°40’W, 1637m, 1 male (41.5mm), MNRJ 14847 ; E­0497, 13°13’S, 38°19’W, 1374m, 1 ovigerous female (38mm), 2 males (33, 39mm), MNRJ 14849 . Other material: Seychelles Island, 04°08'S, 56°11.3'W, 580m, 3 specimens (without pleopods) (23 to 36mm), MNRJ 18640 ; East coast of Taiwan, 25°2.2'S, 122°21.3'W, 1170m, 1 male (21mm), MNRJ 18641 .

Diagnosis: Carapace with rostrum overreaching scaphocerite, ventral margin with three, occasionally four teeth; antennal spine present; branchiostegal spine present, without distinct carina. Abdomen dorsally carinate on all somite but somite 1; somites 1 to 4 with posteromesial tooth, the one of somite 3 distinctly strong. Male pleopod 1 with endopod, rounded, with numerous stout setae on proximal to mesial portion, distal lobe with numerous hook setae; male pleopod 2 with appendix interna, little more than half length of appendix masculina, with densely plumose setae on lateral margins and slightly triangular shape on distal portion; appendix masculina with pectinate setae on distal and lateral margins.

Description: Eyestalk with an ocellus on medio­distal portion ( Fig. 8B ). Carapace with rostrum about 3/4 length of carapace, overreaching scaphocerite, ventral margin convex, with three, occasionally four teeth, dorsal margin with seven to eight teeth ( Fig. 9A–C ); dorsal margin sharply carinate throughout entire length, distinctly sinuous in lateral view; antennal spine present; with small branchiostegal spine, without distinct carina; supraorbital and pterygostomian spine absent; conspicuous cervical groove; suprabranchial carina distinct ( Fig. 8A ). Stylocerite triangular, reaching 2/3 of first antennular peduncle article, apex acute ( Fig. 8C ). Scaphocerite with blunt apex, densely plumose setae on inner margin and a distal tooth that distinctly overreaches blade ( Fig. 8D ). Mandible with palp three­articulated, incisor process with about nine teeth, molar process rounded and blunt, with a row of small setae and a tubercle ( Fig. 10A, B ). Maxilla 1 with two endites, distal endite with numerous stout setae on inner margin; basal endite with pectinate and densely plumose setae on inner margin; palp unarmed on rounded apex, and with four stout setae on a protuberance ( Fig. 10C ). Maxilla 2 with two endites, distal endite bilobed, both lobe with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margins; basal endite rounded, with densely plumose setae on inner margin; endopod as long as endite length, with pappose­pectinate setae on apex; scaphognathite with densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 10D ). Maxilliped 1 with two endites, distal endite with pappose setae on distal margin, and pectinate setae on inner margin; basal endite with pappose setae on inner margin; endopod three­articulated, longer than distal endite, with several pappose setae on apex and simple setae on inner margin; exopodal lobe with densely plumose setae in all margins ( Fig. 10E ). Maxilliped 2, endopod with elongate ischium and merus with scattered plumose setae on inner margin; carpus short; propod rounded with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; dactyl with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; exopod elongate, with densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 10F ). Maxilliped 3 slender and elongate, propod­dactyl with stout setae on apex; exopod with densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 10G ). Pereopods 1 and 2 chelate. Pereopods 3 to 5 with fringes of setae on ischium and merus. Pereopods 3 and 4, merus with about ten stout setae on inner margin. Pereopod 5, merus with about five stout setae on inner margin ( Fig. 8A ). Epipods with mesial teeth, present on pereopods 1 to 3 ( Fig. 11A, B ). Abdomen dorsally carinate on all somites, but somite 1; somites 3 to 6 with posteromesial tooth; the one of somite 3 distinctly strong; somite 6 at least 1 ½ times long as height ( Fig. 8A ). Male pleopod 1, endopod rounded, with numerous stout setae on proximal to mesial portion, densely plumose setae on posterior margin and a distal lobe with numerous hook setae ( Fig. 11C ). Pleopod 2 with appendix masculina long and slender, with numerous strong acute pectinate setae on distal portion; appendix interna little longer than half length of appendix masculina, with a slightly triangular shape on distal portion, and densely plumose setae on lateral margins ( Fig. 11D ). Female pleopod 1, endopod leaf shaped, with densely plumose setae on posterior margin ( Fig. 11E ). Exopod of uropod with complete diaresis, and one distal spine on outer margin ( Fig. 12A ). Telson not sulcate in dorsal midline; with four pairs of dorsolateral stout setae, and three pairs of distal setae, median stronger ( Fig. 12B ).

Distribution: Cosmopolitan: Western Atlantic: from Cape Hatteras to Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil (Sergipe to Rio de Janeiro). Eastern and Central Atlantic: France (Gulf of Gascogne), Spain (Bay of Cadix), near Gibraltar, Azores, Madeira and Canary Archipelagos. Indian and Pacific: from Southeastern Africa to Japan, Hawaii and New Zealand. Adults probably live in depths between 200 and 4700 m ( Bate 1888; Chace 1986; Tavares 1999).

Remarks: This species is widely distributed in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic. Was previously recorded from Brazilian waters in Espírito Santo ( Tavares 1999) and Alagoas ( Bate 1888) ( Fig. 13 ).

The specimens examined agrees with the descriptions of Chace (1940, 1986) and Crosnier & Forest (1973) in the carapace being dorsally carinate on entire length; absence of a branchiostegal groove, cervical groove and suprabranchial carina present; abdominal somites 2 to 6 dorsally carinate; abdominal somites 3 to 6 with dorsal tooth and dorsal tooth of abdominal somite 3 stronger than the others. However, Chace (1940, 1986) states that the rostrum ventral surface has one to five teeth, and the material examined herein has only three or four teeth. According to Wood­Mason & Alcock (1892), the female of A. eximia has a rostrum longer and more styliform than the male; this sexual dimorphism was also observed in the present material.

Crosnier & Forest (1973) compared specimens of A. eximia from Africa and from Brazil ( USNM) and no conspicuous morphological differences were found. Herein, specimens of A eximia from Brazil (Atlantic) were compared with specimens from Archipelago Seychelles and from Taiwan (Pacific) and some rostrum variation were observed: in the Seychelles specimens the number of dorsal teeth on rostrum range from five to six, in Taiwan specimen, there are nine dorsal teeth on rostrum, while in Brazilian specimens the dorsal teeth on rostrum range from seven to eigth. Furthermore, the Seychelles and the Brazilian specimens have four pairs of dorsolateral stout setae on telson, while in the Taiwan specimen the telson has five dorsolateral stout setae at one side and four on the other.

Figures

FIGURE 8 — Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, male, MNRJ 14832 (carapace length 42.5mm); A, lateral view; B, ocular peduncle and cornea, lateral view; C, right antennule, dorsal view; D, right scaphocerite, dorsal view (as, antennal spine; brs, branchiostegal spine; cg, cervical groove; sbrc, suprabranchial carina; st, stylocerite).

FIGURE 9 — Rostrum variation of Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, female, MNRJ 14830 (carapace length 26mm); A, lateral view, first ventral tooth stronger than others. Female, MNRJ 14844 (carapace length 34mm); B, lateral view. Female, MNRJ 14839 (carapace length 41mm); C, lateral view with four ventral teeth.

FIGURE 10 — Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, male, MNRJ 14832; A, left mandible, dorsal view; B, right mandible, dorsal view; C, left maxilla 1, dorsal view; D, left maxilla 2, dorsal view; E, left maxilliped 1, dorsal view; F, left maxilliped 2, dorsal view; G, left maxilliped 3, dorsal view.

FIGURE 11 — Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, male, MNRJ 14832; A, epipod of right second pereopod, lateral view; B, epipod of left second pereopod, lateral view; C, endopod of right first pleopod, lateral view; D, appendix interna and masculina of right second pleopod, lateral view (ai, appendix interna; am, appendix masculina). Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, E, female, MNRJ 14828 (carapace length 41mm); endopod of right first pleopod, lateral view.

FIGURE 12 — Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884, male, MNRJ 14832 (carapace length 42.5mm); telson and uropods, dorsal view.

FIGURE 13 — Geographic distribution of Acanthephyra eximia Smith, 1884.