Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885)

Cardoso, Irene & Contents, Paulo Young Table Of, 2005, Deep-sea Oplophoridae (Crustacea Caridea) from the southwestern Brazil, Zootaxa 1031 (1), pp. 1-76 : 70-74

Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885)

( Figs 54–58 )

Acanthephyra pellucida Filhol, 1885: 144 , 162.

Acanthephyra affinis Faxon, 1896: 162 , pl. 2, figs 1–3.

Systellaspis pellucida — Crosnier & Forest, 1973: 92, figs 26c, 27c; Chace, 1986: 67, figs 34m –o, 35g, h.

Material examined: Revizee Program: E­0515, 11°40’S, 37°13’W, 487m, 3 ovigerous females (32 to35mm), 3 females (24 to 27mm), MNRJ 14851 ; E­0521, 13°27’S, 38°43’W, 376m, 1 male (19mm), MNRJ 14852 ; E­0511, 15°42’S, 38°37’W, 251m, 1 ovigerous female (16mm), 2 females (14, 16mm), 1 male (17mm), MNRJ 14853 ; E­0495, 13°06’S, 38°25’W, 341m, 1 ovigerous female (19mm), MNRJ 14884 .

Diagnosis: Carapace with rostrum overreaching scaphocerite, ventral margin with at least three teeth, dorsal margin with at least 11 teeth; strong antennal spine present; branchiostegal spine present with distinct carina. Abdomen not dorsally carinate on all somites; somites 3 to 5 with posteromesial tooth, the one of somite 3 distinctly strong. Male pleopod 1 with endopod rounded, numerous densely plumose setae on lateral margins, small distal lobe with several hook setae; male pleopod 2 with appendix masculina, a little more than half length of appendix interna, rounded distaly.

Description: Eyestalk without ocellus on medio­distal portion ( Fig. 54B ). Carapace with rostrum usually as long as carapace, overreaching scaphocerite, ventral margin convex, with at least three teeth, dorsal margin with at least 11 teeth ( Fig. 54A ); dorsal margin not carinate; strong antennal spine present; strong branchiostegal spine present, with distinct carina extending twice length of spine; supraorbital and pterygostomian spine absent; cervical groove and suprabranchial carina absent ( Fig. 54A ). Stylocerite broad at base, narrowing in acute apex reaching 2/3 of first antennular peduncle article; first antennular peduncle article with rounded, short tooth on distal outer margin reaching half of second antennular peduncle article ( Fig. 54C ). Scaphocerite narrow, rounded apex, strong distal tooth overreaching blade, densely plumose setae on inner margin ( Fig. 54D ). Mandible with palp three­articulated; incisor process with about seven strong teeth near molar process, and ten small teeth; molar process formed by three acute teeth and tubercle ( Fig. 55A, B ). Maxilla 1 with two endites; distal endite with numerous stout setae on inner margin; basal endite with pectinate and stout setae near to inner margin, pappose and pectinate setae on distal margin, and pectinate setae on inner margin; palp with rounded apex, stout seta, numerous pappose setae and few small, captate setae on inner margin ( Fig. 55C ). Maxilla 2 with two endites; distal endite bilobed, both lobes with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; basal endite bilobed, both lobes with densely plumose setae on inner margin; endopod 2/3 endites length; endopod with pappose­pectinate setae on apex, inner margin with small captate setae; scaphognathite with densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 55D ). Maxilliped 1 endite with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; endopod three­articulated, longer than distal endite, several pectinate setae on apex; exopodal lobe with densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 55E ). Maxilliped 2 endopod with ischium and merus elongate, pappose setae on inner margins; carpus short; propod rounded, long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; dactyl with long, stout, pectinate setae on inner margin; elongate exopod, densely plumose setae on all margins ( Fig. 55F ). Maxilliped 3 slender and elongate, densely plumose setae in all articles, propod­dactyl with stout setae in distal portion; exopod with densely plumose on all margins ( Fig. 55G ). Pereopods 1 and 2 chelate. Pereopod 3 merus with four stout setae on inner margin. Pereopod 4 merus with nine stout setae on inner margin. Pereopod 5 merus without stout setae ( Fig. 54A ). Epipods with mesial teeth present on pereopods 1 to 3; epipod of pereopod 4 well developed, except for vertical component. ( Fig. 56A, B ). Abdomen without dorsal carina on all abdominal somites; somites 3 to 5 with posteromesial tooth; the one of somite 3 distinctly strong; somite 6 longer than somite 5 ( Fig. 54A ). Male pleopod 1 with endopod rounded, with numerous densely plumose setae on lateral margins, small distal lobe with several hook setae ( Fig. 56C ). Male pleopod 2 appendix masculina long, slender, acute pectinate setae on distal and lateral margins; appendix interna, a little more than half length of appendix masculina, densely plumose setae on lateral margin, apex rounded and with many hook setae ( Fig. 56D ). Female pleopod 1 with endopod leaf­shape, numerous densely plumose setae on posterior margin ( Fig. 56E ). Exopod of uropod with complete diaresis, one distal spine on outer margin ( Fig. 57A ). Telson not sulcate in dorsal midline; one pair of stout setae, one pair of long, stout setae and a spinose end piece formed by four pairs of stout setae ( Fig. 57A, B ).

Distribution: Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Antilles, Brazil (Bahia). Eastern Atlantic: west African coast, from Cape Verde, Guine to Gabon. Indian and Pacific Oceans: Madagascar, Western Indian Ocean, South China Sea, Zanzibar, Philippines, Indonesia. Adults probably live in depths between 300 and 600 m ( Chace 1986; Crosnier 1987).

Remarks: Systellaspis pellucida occurs in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In the Western Atlantic, this species was previously recorded only from the Central America. This is the first record of this species from the South American waters ( Fig. 58 ).

The material examined agrees with Chace (1986) description in the rostrum overreaching scaphocerite, the carapace without dorsal carina, without lateral carina extending from orbit to posterior margin, the abdominal somites 3 to 5 with dorsal carina and the tergum of abdominal somite 5 not spinulose. The material examined also agrees with the figures of Crosnier & Forest (1973) in the these characters and in the abdominal somite 3 with dorsal tooth of normal size, not projected upwards.

Figures

FIGURE 54 — Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885), male, MNRJ 14853 (carapace length 20mm); 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; st, stylocerite).

FIGURE 55 — Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885), male, MNRJ 14853; 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 56 — Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885), male, MNRJ 14853; 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 appendix masculina from right second pleopod, lateral view (ai, appendix interna; am, appendix masculina). Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885), female, MNRJ 14853 (carapace length 16mm) E, endopod of right first pleopod, lateral view.

FIGURE 57 — Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885), male, MNRJ 14853; telson and uropods, dorsal view.

FIGURE 58 — Geographic distribution of Systellaspis pellucida (Filhol, 1885).