Sunipea indicus ( Alcock, 1895 )

Santana, William, 2015, A new species of Sunipea Griffin & Tranter, 1986 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Inachidae) and a redescription of Sunipea indicus (Alcock, 1895), Zootaxa 4052 (3), pp. 383-393 : 384-390

Sunipea indicus ( Alcock, 1895)

( Figures 1B, D ; 2B, D; 3B, D; 4B, D, F; 5C, D)

Apocremnus indicus Alcock 1895: 188 , pl. IV figs. 2, 2a.

Aepinus indicus — Rathbun 1911: 247; 1925: 92; Griffin 1972: 68, fig 3; Griffin 1974:6 [pro parte]; Griffin & Tranter 1974: 164; Takeda 1977: 122, fig. 4B.

Sunipea indicus — Griffin & Tranter 1986: 59, figs 15a, d [pro parte]; Davie 2002: 298; Komai et al. 2002: 20; Ng et al. 2008: 113; Poore et al. 2008: 60; Komatsu 2011: 252, fig 17E.

Material examined. Somali Republic, Cape Guardafui, Anton Bruun, stn 463, 11 °24’N- 51°35’E, 17.xii.1964, 75– 150 m, ovigerous female ( USNM 135111). South of Baia Di Hafun, Anton Bruun, stn 445, 09 °41’N- 51°03’E, 16.xii.1964, D.J.G. Griffin det., 60–70 m, female ( USNM 135109). South of Baia Di Hafun, Anton Bruun, stn 444, 09 °36’N- 51°01’E, 16.xii.1964, D.J.G. Griffin det., 80 m, 2 males ( USNM 135108). Seychelles, Amirante Islands, Sealark, stn E10 [approx. 6°00'S 53°10'E ( Lowry & Stoddart 1992)], 11.x.1905, 40– 155m, female ( USNM 41388). Mozambique, Mozambique Channel, Anton Bruun, stn 371D, 24°26’S- 35°21’E, 18.viii.1964, D.J.G. Griffin det., 165 m, ovigerous female ( USNM 135106).

Diagnosis. Carapace covered with subequal tubercles, irregularly distributed, concentrated on hepatic, branchial regions. Rostrum bifurcated, curved, divergent. Ocular peduncle with distinct anterior lamella in distal half. Third, fourth antennal articles not reaching tip of rostrum; epistome with few distinct tubercles. Merus with anterolateral margin strongly expanded, with distinct medial spine. Thoracic sternite III–VII with verrucose tubercles forming carinas Sterno–abdominal cavity encircling telson, forming sharp carina, with 2 distinct tubercles on each side of the telson. Female abdominal somites 2–6, telson covered with tubercles. Male gonopod 1 slightly curved, divergent, with mesial lobe leaf-like, directed anteromesially, with a large aperture, distinct velvet on lateral margin absent.

Redescription. Carapace piriform, almost two times longer than wide; surface covered with subequal, small tubercles, irregularly distributed, mostly concentrated on hepatic, branchial regions; hooked setae sparsely distributed, with dense clusters in rostrum, between orbits, hepatic, gastric, branchial regions; hepatic region with long spine directed anterolaterally; metagastric, cardiac, mesobranchial, intestinal regions with one spine each, branchial region with 1 anteroventrolateral spine. Carapace spines, including rostrum, sometimes resembling blunt tubercles, spines longer, capitate in some specimens. Gastric, hepatic, branchial, cardiac, intestinal regions well defined. Gastric region elongated forming constricted neck. Rostrum bifurcated, curved, divergent, longer in males, anteriorly directed; rostrum, orbital dorsal margins with few tubercles. Supraorbital spines long, directed anteriorly; postorbital spines very short, with crenulated tips. Ocular peduncle constricted medially, with distinct anterior lamella in distal half. Antennular fossae longitudinally ovate, with smooth margins. Interantennular septum elongated, compressed laterally, forming distinct ventrally directed lobe. Antennal flagella short; third, fourth antennal articles long, slender, not reaching tip of rostrum. First, second antennal articles fused to epistome; second article with long spine in anterolateral angle, slightly directed anteriorly, with few sub-equal tubercles near mesial margin. Epistome with few distinct tubercles, markedly longer than wide. Epistomial spine, interantennular septum separated by small gap. Mouthfield subquadrate, protruded anteriorly, with crenulated anterolateral angles. Pterygostomian region subtriangular, with row of strong tubercles forming carinae, smaller tubercles present; separated from subhepatic region by prominent groove. Subhepatic region with long anteroventraly directed spine, small tubercles evenly distributed.

Third maxillipeds completely covering buccal frame. Exopod long, reaching distal margin of merus; dorsal face with sparse tubercles parallel to lateral margin, otherwise irregularly distributed; mesial margin with strong spine in distal third. Ischium longer than broad; mesial margin almost straight; crista dentata with row of short setae, small acute teeth; dorsal face of ischium longitudinally concave, with distinct, small, well-spaced tubercles, sharp tubercles on lateral margin. Merus longer than half of ischium, with smaller tubercles; anterolateral margin strongly expanded, with distinct medial spine, few long setae present; anterolateral angle crenulated, mesial margin with few small sharp tubercles, otherwise smooth. Palp shorter than merus; carpus compressed, longer, propodus, dactylus cylindrical, similar in size, without tubercles, with long setae along mesial, lateral margins, propodus slender; carpus with few long setae on lateral margin.

Male thoracic sternite I to IV fused, broadly triangular, with 3 acute tubercles in anterior tip, few strong verrucose tubercles irregularly distributed. Posterior half of fused sternites I–IV strongly sloping down in ventral view, covered with strong verrucose tubercles, forming a carina along lateral margin. Sterno-abdominal cavity encircling telson, forming sharp carina, with 2 distinct tubercles on each side of the telson. Male sternites V–VII with strong, verrucose tubercles, mostly fused, forming line along sternite sutures, surface in females smooth. Margin of male episternites IV–VII irregular, smooth on females.

Chelipeds equal, long, robust in males; females with shorter, more slender chelipeds. Palm, fingers strongly compressed laterally, with carinate edges, palm with small, few granules on proximal margin. Dactylus, fixed finger distinctly shorter than palm, cutting edges with sub-equal teeth; without gap when closed. Dactylus with a line of tubercles on lateral face. Carpus, merus, ischium densely covered with tubercles. Merus with row of stronger tubercles on mesial face, short hooked setae present.

Walking legs slender, cylindrical. First leg longest; other legs progressively decreasing in length. Dactylus slightly curved, densely setose, with small granules on lower edge. Propodus, carpus, merus, ischium with subequal tubercles sparsely distributed.

Male abdominal somites 1–6, telson free, slightly raised medially forming low longitudinal ridge. Somite 3 with several strong tubercles; somites 4, 5 with verrucose tubercles medially, somite 6 with sparse tubercles. Female abdominal somites 1–3, telson free, 4–6 fused. In males, surfaces of abdominal somites 2, 4–6 with few tubercles, somite 3 densely covered with strong tubercles; female abdominal somites 2–6 covered with distinct, subequal, uniformly distributed tubercles. Female abdomen markedly arched, with row of setae on margin. Telson subtriangular, terminating in rounded apex with sparse tubercles in males; female telson transversally oval, with uniformly distributed tubercles. Gonopod 1 (= male pleopod 1) stout, slightly curved, divergent, with acute apex on lateral margin; mesial lobe long, leaf-like, directed anteromesially, with large aperture surrounded with several small setae. Lateral margin smooth. Gonopod 2 (= male pleopod 2) slender, straight, very short (one fifth of G1 length).

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific region: from East Africa and Red Sea to Andaman Sea, Indonesia (Sumbawa and Kai Is.), Ogasawara Is., Philippines, and Australia ( Griffin & Tranter 1986; Poore et al. 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A – D, Habitus, dorsal and ventral views. A, C, Sunipea callistus n. sp., male holotype cl 14.6 mm, cw 10.5 mm (USNM 1191775). B, D, Sunipea indicus, male (USNM 135108). Cheliped digitally removed in C. Scale bars, 5.0 mm.