Callipallene cinto, Müller & Krapp, 2009

Müller, Hans-Georg & Krapp, Franz, 2009, The pycnogonid fauna (Pycnogonida, Arthropoda) of the Tayrona National Park and adjoining areas on the Caribbean coast of Colombia 2319, Zootaxa 2319 (1), pp. 1-138 : 69-72

Callipallene cinto n.sp.

Figs. 36–37

Material: Holotype: 40.—Male (ov.) ( SMF 1497 ), Thalassia , 1–3.5 m, 8.VIII.1985.

Paratypes: 40.— 1 male, 1 fem. (gravid) ( SMF 1498 ), together with holotype. 1 fem. (gravid) ( SMF 1499 ), Thalassia , 1–3 m, 3.IX.1985 .

Etymology: After the type locality, Bahía Cinto in Tayrona National Park, a noun in apposition.

Description of male and female: Dorsal outline a long oval, very long neck region, which is longer than its own (first) segment base and the entire second segment together; these two anterior segments distinctly separated, as well as second from third, but segments 3 and 4 fused. Crurigers separated by about their own diameter, 1.2 times as long as broad, without setation. Oviger origins well differentiated from first crurigers. Ocular process flatly rounded, eyes small and slightly pigmented. Abdomen nearly upright, distally rounded, slightly higher than ocular process. Proboscis length twice its diameter, distally obtusely rounded and feebly constricted.

Cheliphore scape slender, 4 times as long as broad, with dorso-distal and antero-lateral setae; chela very slender, fingers feebly curved; cutting edges of both fingers with 5 small teeth each. Ovigers long and slender; 5 th article longest, twice as long as 4th, dorso-distally with a round tubercle with distal seta; the 4 distal articles of similar length and armed with a row of serrated spines according to formula 4:4:3:3.

Legs very slender, 2 nd coxa about twice as long as lengths of coxae 1 and 3 combined; femur in female with a wide ventral dilation to hold ova; femur in both species minmally 9 times as long as broad; first tibia 9/ 10 length of femur, but more densely setose than femur; tibia 2 about 1.3 times length of tibia 1, similarly clad in setae; tarsus length equals breadth, with 3 setae and apically forked spine; propodus feebly curved, slender, no distinct heel; proximal half of sole with 3–5 robust spines, 3–4 of them apically forked; distal region of sole with 4–5 short spines and 1–2 setae; main claw slender and feebly curved, auxiliary claw more strongly curved but more slender than main claw.

Measurements of holotype: Trunk length 0.70; width 0.25 (across 2 nd crurigers); length of abdomen 0.07; length of proboscis 0.16; length of cheliphore scape 0.18; length of chela 0.21. Lengths of leg 3: length of coxa 1—0.08; length of coxa 2—0.45; length of coxa 3—0.12; femur 0.71; tibia 1—0.62; tibia 2—0.75; tarsus 0.03; propodus 0.08; claws of holotype damaged.

Remarks: This species is known only from the type locality, it demonstrates close relationships to Callipallene evelinae Marcus, 1940 from Brazil. Comparing the original description the differences to this species are: the neck region in C. cinto n. sp. is markedly more slender, as are the legs and ovigers. The 5 th oviger article in C. evelinae is almost the same length of the 4th—in the new species the 5 th article is strongly elongated and bears a distal apophysis, which is apparently absent in evelinae . The propodus in all legs in C. cinto is more slender and less curved. Seemingly the legs of the Brazilian species bear plumose setae, but without actual material at our disposition we cannot rule out the possibility that these are just threadlike algae (compare Marcus 1940: 31, Fig. 2 ).

The species was found in the research area exclusively in a seagrass stand in Bahía Cinto (on Thalassia ) .

Distribution: Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Achelia gracilis Verrill, 1900. A, male dorsal, B, female dorsal, C, male lateral, D, male cheliphore, E, female oviger, F, male oviger. Scale 200 mm for A–C, 50 mm for D–E, 100 mm for F.

FIGURE 36. Callipallene cinto n. sp.: A male lateral, two eggs attached on oviger, B female dorsal, C female proboscis and cheliphore ventral, D female chela, E male oviger, F last six male oviger articles (apophysis on 5th article).

FIGURE 37. Callipallene cinto n. sp.: A male leg 4, B propodus and tarsus of male leg 4, C female leg 4, femur distended by ova, D propodus and tarsus of female leg 4, E bifid spine from proximal sole.