Synalpheus neomeris (de Man, 1897)

Wang, Yan-Rong & Sha, Zhong-Li, 2015, A review of the genus Synalpheus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Alpheidae) from China seas, Zoological Systematics 40 (4), pp. 357-435 : 404-408

3.2.19 Synalpheus neomeris (de Man, 1897) ( Figs 33–34 )

Alpheus minor neptunus de Man, 1888 . J. Linn. Soc. Lond., 22: 272 (nec A. minor Rankin = A. minus Say ; nec A. neptunus Dana ).

Alpheus neomeris de Man, 1897 . Zool. Jb. Syst., 9: 734, fig. 61a, d, e (partim).

Synalpheus neomeris Coutière, 1905 . Fauna and Geog. Maid, and Laccad., 2(4): 869, fig. 1; de Man, 1911. Siboga Exped , 39(2): 212, fig. 24; Banner & Banner, 1975. Records of the Australian Museum, 29(12): pl. 357, fig. 22.

Synalpheus gravieri Coutière, 1905 . Fauna and Geog. Maid, and Laccad., 2(4): 870, fig. 2; Pearson, 1905. Rep. Govt. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Fish. Gulf Manaar, 4(24): 82; de Man, 1911. Siboga Exped. , 39(2): 216, fig. 25; Gurney, 1927. Trans. Zool. Soc. Fond., 22: 261, fig. 64 (larval development); Banner & Banner, 1966. Siam Soc. Mono., 3: 48, fig. 13; Miya, 1972. Publ. Amakusa Biol. Lab., 3(1): 66, pl. 13.

Alpheus prolificus Ortmann, 1890 . Zool. Jb. Syst., 5: 484 (nec Spence Bate).

Alpheus neptunus Spence Bate, 1888 . Challenger Rept., 24: 563, pl. 101, fig. 2 (nec A. neptunus Dana ).

Material examined. CL 5.9–13.1 mm, TL 15.1–30.1 mm. ( MBM 270310), 2 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, depth 60 m; ( MBM 270380), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6179, depth 16 m, 13 February 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270379), 1 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6251, depth 51 m, 9 October 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270378), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6267, depth 35 m, 10 February 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270376), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6273, depth 46 m, 25 October 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270375), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6273, depth 46 m, 25 October 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270374), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6263, depth 59 m, 19 October 1960, coll. Shao; ( MBM 270373), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, depth 35 m, 14 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270561), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6237, depth 45.5 m, 13 December 1959, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270439), 2 ovigerous ♀, 7♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6280, depth 27 m, 5 December 1959, coll. Xiu-Tong Ma; ( MBM 270568), 4 immature specimens, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6277, depth 31.3 m, 17 May 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270403), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6270, depth 32.8 m, 7 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270417), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, depth 35 m, 14 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270418), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6223, depth 30 m, 20 May 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270421), 3♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7404, depth 46 m, 15 April 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270420), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7404, depth 48 m, 21 August 1962; ( MBM 270238), 1 ovigerous ♀, 7♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6239, depth 63.3 m, 4 December 1959; ( MBM 270420), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7404, depth 48 m, 21 August 1962; ( MBM 107834), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, East China Sea, Sta. V-3, depth 130 m, 29 August 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang; ( MBM 107831), 1♂, East China Sea, Sta. IV-6, depth 112 m, 29 August 1976, coll. Rui-Yu Liu; ( MBM 107835), 3♂, East China Sea, Sta. V-7, depth 126 m, 21 September 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang, Feng-Shan Xu; ( MBM 270202), 1 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6262, depth 48 m, 15 October 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270382), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6251, depth 50 m, 6 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270370), 1♂; ( MBM 270369), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6179, depth 15 m, 14 July 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270368), 1 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, 11 November 1960, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 270367), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, 11 November 1960, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 270366), 2 ovigerous ♀, 4♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, 11 November 1960, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 270365), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, depth 33.5 m, 13 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270364), 2 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, depth 33.5m, 13 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270448), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6271, depth 44 m, 17 May 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270381), 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6251, depth 50 m, 6 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270419), 4 ovigerous ♀, 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7304, 21 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270419), 1 ovigerous ♀, 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7304, depth 50 m, 20 August 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270401), 1♂, 2 immature specimens, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6239, depth 57m, 5 February 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270563), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6230, depth 64 m, 18 April 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270397), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6270, depth 32.8 m, 7 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270400), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6217, depth 60 m, 9 February 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270530), 1 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7305, depth 64 m, 18 October 1962; ( MBM 270402), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6240, depth 60 m, 6 December 1959, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270398), 1 ovigerous ♀, 3♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6222, depth 25 m, 18 October 1960, coll. Yang-Lian Guan; ( MBM 270560), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6257, depth 64 m, 19 April 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 27569), 2 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6276, depth 26 m, 7 July 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270670), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6232, depth 81 m, 23 October 1960, coll. Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 270567), 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6250, depth 33.5 m, 13 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270565), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6265, depth 63 m, 24 October 1960, coll. Xing; ( MBM 270566), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6236, depth 41.5 m, 15 July 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 081142), 1♂, East China Sea, Sta. 4081, depth 81 m, 2 February 1959, coll. Jie-Shan Xu; ( MBM 270529), 1 ovigerous ♀, 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7603, depth 43 m, 11 October 1959; ( MBM 270526), 1 ovigerous ♀, 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7503, depth 52 m, 22 August 1962; ( MBM 270562), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6283, depth 25 m, 10 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270564), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6239, depth 63.3 m, 4 December 1959, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270471), 3 ovigerous ♀, 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7503, depth 47 m, 15 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270140), 1 ovigerous ♀, 16♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7405, depth 60 m, 14 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270138), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6179, depth 14 m, 17 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270133), 1 ovigerous ♀, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7404, depth 58 m, 14 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270131), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7204, depth 49 m, 22 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270130), 1 ovigerous ♀, 10♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7304, depth 54 m, 21 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270135), 2 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7502, depth 32 m, 21 August 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270136), 2 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, 1 immature specimens, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7405, depth 60 m, 14 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270137), 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7404, depth 58 m, 14 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 270139), 2♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7405, depth 63 m, 12 October 1962; ( MBM 270590), 1 ovigerous ♀, 4♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6249, depth 31 m, 7 November 1960, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 107830), 2 ovigerous ♀, 3 immature ♂, East China Sea, Sta. V-6, depth 112 m, 5 July 1976, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang, Feng-Shan Xu; ( MBM 107833), 2♂, East China Sea, Sta. V-2, depth 99 m, 5 July 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang; ( MBM 107832), 1♂, 1 immature specimens, East China Sea, Sta. V-7, depth 100 m, 10 October 1975, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang, Jie-Shan Xu; ( MBM 107829), 1 ovigerous ♀, East China Sea, Sta. III-7, depth 100 m, 27 June 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang; ( MBM 107827), 1♂, East China Sea, Sta. VI-4, depth 139 m, 29 August 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang; ( MBM 270596), 4♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6218, depth 31 m, 4 November 1960, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 107828), 1 ovigerous female, East China Sea, Sta. V-5, depth 150m, 28 August 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang, Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 270593), 13♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6266, depth 50.5 m, 13 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan, Shou-Peng Shen; ( MBM 107836), 5 ovigerous ♀, 7♂, East China Sea, Sta. V-3, depth 105 m, 27 August 1976, coll. Zhi-Chan Tang; ( MBM 270195), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7604, depth 58 m, 11 October 1962; ( MBM 270592), 8 ovigerous ♀, 12♂, 8 immature specimens, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6277, depth 35 m, 9 July 1960, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan; ( MBM 270196), 1♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 7603, depth 42 m, 12 January 1962, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun; ( MBM 042233), 5 specimens, East China Sea, Sta. 4082, depth 86 m, October 1959, coll. Rui-Yu Liu; ( MBM 158504), 1 ovigerous ♀, Yezhu Island, depth 10 m, 18 March 1992, coll. Bao-Lin Zhang; ( MBM 158690), 1♂, Nansha Islands, Sta. 55, depth 46 m, 8 June 1990; ( MBM 158776), 1♂, Nansha, Islands, Sta. 15, 28 May 1985; ( MBM 214610), 5♂, Tonkin Gulf (Beibu Gulf), Sta. 6236, depth 47.5 m, 18 April 1960, coll. Fu-Zeng Sun.

Description. Carapace smooth, glabrous; rostrum about 2.5 times as long as wide at base, acute tip reaching about 2/3 length of visible part of first segment of antennular peduncle; orbital hoods slightly shorter than rostrum; pterygostomial corner produced into acute angle; cardiac notch well developed.

Telson about 1.4 times as long as wide at base; dorsal surface with two pairs of moderately small spines, inserted approximately at 8/11 and 9/11 length of telson; posterior margin strongly produced, fringed with long setae, posterolateral angle each with two pairs of spines, lateral about 1/2 length of mesial, posterolateral margins not produced.

Eyes concealed in lateral and dorsal view.

Antennular peduncle slender, with distally acute stylocerite, latter reaching about 1/4 length of second segment of antennular peduncle; second segment about 1.5 times as long as wide at base; visible part of first segment longer than second and about twice as long as third. Basicerite with acute distodorsal tooth, distolateral tooth slightly shorter than stylocerite; carpocerite far overreaching end of third segment of antennular peduncle; scaphocerite blade moderately narrow, reaching 3/4 length of third segment of antennular peduncle, lateral spine developed, reaching end of antennular peduncle, distinctly shorter than carpocerite.

Third maxilliped far beyond antennular peduncle and carpocerite when extended; antepenultimate segment longest; penultimate segment about 1.5 times as long as wide at base; tip of ultimate segment bearing crown of small four spine-like setae, with transverse rows of long setae along ventral margin.

Major cheliped with short, stout ischium; merus about twice as long as wide at base, superodistal margin with one subacute triangular tooth; carpus cup-shaped, with setae distodorsally; palm about 2.4 times as long as dactylus, distodorsal of palm with one strong acute projecting, curved to dactylus; dactylus as long as pollex.

Minor chela with merus about four times as long as wide at base, superodistal margin with one subacute triangular tooth; carpus cup-shaped, proportionally longer that of major cheliped; palm about slightly longer than fingers; dactylus and pollex slightly compressed, tapering, distal single tooth.

Second pereiopod with ischium shorter than merus; carpus five-segmented, segment ratio subequal to 6: 1: 1: 1: 2, with first segment longer than sum of last four segment; dorsal margin of palm convex; fingers near as long as palm. Third pereiopod moderately stout; merus slightly longer than propodus, about 3.5 times as long as wide at base, ventral margin with 4–7 spines; carpus about 1/3 length of merus, with dorsal margin extended into an obtuse tooth, ventral margin with one distal spine; propodus with nine small spines along ventral margin plus one distal pair of spines near dactylus; dactylus about 2/7 length of propodus, strongly curved to propodus, biunguiculate, extensor tooth about 1/3 length of flexor tooth, notch between extensor and flexor tooth V-shaped, flexor tooth about 4–5 times as wide at base as extensor tooth. Fourth pereiopod generally similar to third; merus shorter than propodus, ventral margin of propodus with four spines. Fifth pereiopod similar to third and fourth pereiopod, ventral margin of propodus with five transversal rows of spine-like setae and three spines.

Remarks. Synalpheus neomeris was originally described by de Man (1897) under the genus Alpheus , based on two specimens. Banner & Banner (1975) well discussed the history of this species and synonymized Synalpheus gravieri Coutière, 1905 . Then, Banner & Banner (1985) synonymized S. miscellaneous de Man, 1909 (based on a male specimen) as S. neomeris .

The species differs from S. streptodactylus , S. iphinoe , and S. modestus by the short rather than long (general in this genus) crown of spines on the tip of third maxilliped. The present abundant specimens are generally similar to each other, and precisely agreed with the description of Banner & Banner (1975).

Distribution. South China Sea; Suez Canal; Red Sea; eastern Africa; Persian Gulf; Thailand; Japan; Philippines; Indonesia; Australia.

Figures

Fig. 33. Synalpheus neomeris (de Man, 1897), female (cl 7.5 mm) (MBM 279528). a–b. Frontal region. a. Dorsal. b. Lateral. c–d. Third maxilliped. c. Lateral. d. Tip, lateral. e–f. Major cheliped. e. Chela, mesial. f. Lateral. g–h. Minor cheliped. g. Lateral. h. Chela, mesial. i. Second pereiopod, lateral. Scale bars=1mm.

Fig. 34. Synalpheus neomeris (de Man, 1897). a–b. Third pereiopod. a. Lateral. b. Distal propodus and dactylus, lateral. c–d. Fourth pereiopod. c. Lateral. d. Distal propodus and dactylus, lateral. e–f. Fifth pereiopod. e. Lateral. f. Distal propodus and dactylus, lateral. g. Telson and uropod, dorsal. h. Female (cl 6.9mm) (MBM 158504) frontal region, dorsal. Scale bars=1 mm.