Goneplax sigsbei (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Castro, Peter, 2007, A reappraisal of the family Goneplacidae MacLeay, 1838 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) and revision of the subfamily Goneplacinae, with the description of 10 new genera and 18 new species, Zoosystema 29 (4), pp. 609-774 : 692

Goneplax sigsbei (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Frevillea sigsbei A. Milne-Edwards, 1880: 16 [ Grenada]. — A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier 1923: 337, fig. 3, pl. 6, fig. 2 [diagnosis; Grenada].

Goneplax sigsbei – Rathbun 1918: 25 [in key], 26, pl. 4, figs 2, 4 [ Grenada]. — Guinot 1969b: 520 [discussion], figs 63, 68, 71a, b, 72; 1971: 1081 [in list]. — Williams et al. 1968: 54 [Atlantic coast of US]. — Nizinski 2003: 137 [in list] [Atlantic coast of US].

TYPE MATERIAL. — 1 ♂ syntype, cl 8.2 mm, cw 13.0 mm; 1 ovig. ♀ syntype, cl 7.3 mm ( MNHN-B 10199 ) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — West Indies, southwest of Grenada, 11°27.00’N, 62°11.00’W- 11°25.00’N, 62°04.25’W, 120- 300 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — West Indies. Blake, stn 287, 14- 91 m, 1 ♂, 1 ovig. ♀ syntypes ( MNHN-B 10199). DISTRIBUTION. — Western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina, USA to the southeastern West Indies. Depth: 14- 300 m.

REMARKS

Goneplax sigsbei , which is restricted to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, is distinguished from the other three species of Goneplax sensu stricto by anterolateral teeth that are close to the outer orbital teeth, shorter and stouter G1, and conspicuously curved G2 (see A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier 1923: fig. 3, pl. 6, fig. 2; Rathbun 1918: pl. 4, figs 2, 4; Guinot 1969b: figs 68, 71, 72). The eye peduncles (0.6 front width) are shorter than in G. rhomboides , but not as short as in G. barnardi n. comb. The vulva of mature females, as in other species of Goneplax sensu stricto, is small, round, and lacking a vulvar cover. It extends from the 5/6 suture to the median portion of somite 6.