Neaxius glyptocercus (von Martens, 1868 )

Poore, Gary C. B. & Dworschak, Peter C., 2018, The Indo-West Pacific species of Neaxiopsis and Neaxius (Crustacea: Axiidea: Strahlaxiidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria (Mem. Mus. Vic.) 77, pp. 15-28 : 24

Neaxius glyptocercus (von Martens, 1868)

Figures 7 , 8m –r

Axius glyptocercus von Martens, 1868: 613–614 .— Haswell, 1882: 165–166.

? Axius (Neaxius) glyptocercus . — Borradaile, 1903: 537.

Axius (Neaxius) glyptocercus .— De Man, 1925a: 50–56, fig. 1.— De Man, 1925c: 4, 13.— Poore and Griffin, 1979: 236–238 (partim), figs 8a–f, k.

Neaxius glyptocercus .— Sakai, 1994: 200.— Sakai, 2011: 326–331 (partim), figs 61A, C–E, fig. 62F (pereopod 2 of holotype, mislabelled) (not figs 62A, B, E = N. capricornicus ; not fig. 61B [interchanged with 62F] = N. acanthus ; not figs 62C, D = N. acanthus ).

Material examined. Holotype. Australia, Qld, Cape York, ZMB 2973 (described and anterior carapace figured by De Man (1925c: 50–56, fig. 1); rostrum, antenna, pereopods 2, 4, 5, pleopod 2 figured by Sakai (2011: 326–331, figs 61A, C–E, 62A, B, F).

Other material. Australia, Qld , Cape York , Fly Point , 10° 45' S, 142° 37' E, AM P.24813 (2 females, 13, 18 mm; male, 17 mm). Townsville area , 19° 16' S, 146° 49' E, AM P.16176 (male, 20 mm). Mossman, Cooya Beach, 16° 26' S, 145° 24' E, NHMW 19591 (3 females, 13.5–24.7 mm). Cannonvale Beach, near Bowen, 20° 01' S, 148° 15' E, AM P.16177 (female, 22 mm) .

NT, Darwin, Lee Point, 12° 20' S, 130° 54' E, AM P.20358 (female, 21 mm). Port Darwin , 12° 27' S, 130° 48' E, AM P.15030 (male, 19 mm). Nightcliff, Darwin, 12° 23' S, 130° 50' E, AM P.18842 (ovigerous female, 28 mm) .

Diagnosis. Carapace supra-antennal margin with anteriorly directed spine; anterolateral margin with 4 (5–7) spines, dorsalmost anteriorly directed; branchiostegite anterior margin with 2 or 3 spines cervical groove without spines along posterior margin. Telson about 1.3 times as wide as long; tapering slightly from widest point to posterior margin; anterior transverse ridge straight, curving laterally to reach lateral margin at its widest point; posterior transverse ridge situated at 0.5 distance between first transverse ridge and posterior margin, ends sharply rounded, almost overhanging; lateral margin with 0–2 marginal teeth; posterior face concave, with shallow median groove, smooth sublaterally. Antenna article 2 without upper-mesial spine, without lateral spine; scaphocerite with 1 mesial sharp spine, 1 (2) sharp ventral spine; article 4 lower margin without spines. Cheliped merus, lower margin with 3 or 4 spines, distolateral face without or rarely with 1 spine. Pereopod 2 merus, lower margin without spines. Pereopod 3 merus, lower margin without spines.

Distribution. Australia: Northern Territory, E of Darwin; Queensland, Cape York to Bowen; 10° 45' S – 20° S.

Remarks. Differences between N. glyptocercus and N. capricornicus were outlined above. The species is confined to north and north-eastern Australia. The holotype was photographed for us by C. Oliver Coleman and we were able to confirm the spination of the pereopods.

Figures

Figure 7. Neaxius glyptocercus (von Martens, 1868), ovigerous female, AM P.18842: a, lateral carapace, merus of cheliped; b, anterior carapace; c, pereopod 2. Female, AM P.16177: d, e, pereopods 3, 4; f, telson. All pereopods, lateral faces. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 8. Neaxius acanthus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1879), NMV J17235, male, 26 mm: a–f. Neaxius capricornicus sp. nov., holotype, NMV J39643: g–k. Paratype, NMV J71641: l. Neaxius glyptocercus (von Martens, 1868), AM P.16177: m–r. Note: a, b, g, h, m, n, dorsal and lateral views of anterior carapace; c–f, i–l, o–r, pereopods 1–4. Pereopods 1, 2 in lateral view, pereopods 3, 4 in mesial view. Scale bar = 5 mm.