Tetraloides heterodactylus (Heller, 1861)

Sun, Yu-Li, Jiang, Wei & Sha, Zhong-Li, 2024, Shallow-water Trapezioidea (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the South China Sea, including two new records, and notes on Tetralia glaberrima Herbst, 1790, Zootaxa 5476 (1), pp. 393-423 : 405

Tetraloides heterodactylus (Heller, 1861)

( Fig. 6D )

Tetralia heterodactyla Heller, 1861: 14 .

Tetraloides heterodactyla . — Galil 1986a: 174.— Galil & Clark 1988: 147, figs. 1D, 3D, 4D, I.— Castro 1997a: 71; 1997b: 115, pl. 1B; 1999a: 45; 1999b: 103; 2003: 443; 2009: 279; 2011: 79 (list).— Castro et al. 2004: 31 (list), 32.—Castro & Titelius 2008: 323.— Maenosono 2017: 45, fig. 10A, B, 11A (the Ryukyus).

Tetraloides heterodactylus . — Ng et al. 2008: 184 (list).— Limviriyakul et al. 2016: 4, fig. 4m ( Taiwan Island).

Tetralia pubescens Klunzinger, 1913: 282 .

Tetralia heterodactyla f. cyanea Serène & Pham, 1957: 116, fig. 3A–C.

Tetralia heterodactyla fusca Serène & Dat, 1957: 116 .—Serène 1959: 153, figs. 5C, 6B; 1984: 283, pl. 42B; Dai et al. 1986; 361, pl. 52 (7).

Tetralia nigrifrons f. fusca Serène & Pham, 1957: 110 , figs. 1A, B, 2, pls. 2 (1, 2), 3 (1, 2).

Material examined. Nansha Islands: Mischief Reef, 115°32.5’E 9°55.7’N, 11 m, coll. Shaobo Ma, Yuli Sun, Ziming Yuan, 5 May 2022, 1 male (8.39 × 7.64 mm), NS-MJJ-2022-1027; 1 female (8.56 × 7.68 mm), NS-MJJ-2022-1028, in Acropora gemmifera ( Acroporidae ). Fiery Cross Reef, 113°0.8’E 9°39.9’N, 10 m, coll. Shaobo Ma, Yuli Sun, Ziming Yuan, 14 May 2022, 1 male (8.14 × 7.73 mm), 1 female (8.77 × 7.91 mm), NS-YS-2022-1284, in partially dead Acropora sp. ( Acroporidae ) reef.

Geographical distribution. Across Indo-West Pacific region. Known from Johnston Atoll, not from the Hawaiian Is ( Castro 2011).

Remarks. Tetraloides heterodactylus is not very common in the South China Sea. The elliptical patches on the upper surface of the walking legs can be either bright blue ( Fig. 6D , NS-MJJ-2022-1027) or inconspicuous grayish blue.

Figures

FIGURE 6. A, Tetraloides nigrifrons Dana, 1852, male (7.71 × 6.86 mm) (NS-YS-2022-1130), Nansha Islands, Fiery Cross Reef; B, Tetraloides nigrifrons, juvenile(4.21 × 3.74 mm) (NS-MJ-2022-1872), Nansha Islands, Mischief Reef; C, Tetraloides nigrifrons,male (all inblack)(8.57×8.32 mm)(NS-MJ-2022-1672),Nansha Islands,MischiefReef;D, Tetraloidesheterodactylus Heller, 1861, male (8.39 × 7.64 mm) (NS-MJJ-2022-1027), Nansha Islands, Mischief Reef; E, Tetralia nigrolineata Serène & Pham, 1957, ovigerous female (white pereiopods) (7.21 × 6.10 mm) (VX20230501), Hainan Island, Hou Hai; F, Tetralia nigrolineata, male (11.35 × 10.59 mm) (XY1102), Hainan Island, Hou Hai.