Pycnoplax victoriensis ( Rathbun, 1923 )

Ahyong, Shane T., 2008, Deepwater crabs from seamounts and chemosynthetic habitats off eastern New Zealand (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1708 (1), pp. 1-72 : 34-35

Pycnoplax victoriensis ( Rathbun, 1923)

( Figs 15B , 29B )

Carcinoplax victoriensis Rathbun, 1923: 101 , pl. 19 [type locality: S of Gabo Island, Victoria, Australia]. — Dell 1960:

4, pl. 1; 1963a: 251–252, 253; 1963b: 49; 1968a: 25; 1968c: 234, 238. — Takeda & Miyake 1969: 158, 172–173,

fig. 2. — Griffin & Brown 1976: 254–255. — McLay 1988: 258–260, fig. 57. — Takeda in Amaoka et al. 1990:

374. — Davie 2002: 194. — Poore 2004: 436, fig. 140d, pl. 24b. — Ahyong et al. 2007: 146. Carcinoplax sp. — Clark & O’Shea 2001: 15. Pycnoplax meridionalis . — Castro 2007: 670 [part, Banks Peninsula specimens; not P. meridionalis ( Rathbun, 1923) ]. Pycnoplax victoriensis . — Castro 2007: 661, 663, 671–672.

Material examined. Rumble III Seamount: NIWA 27556 , 1 male (cl 4.9 mm; 1 damaged), 35°44.38–44.46’S, 178°29.92–30.43’E, 420– 220 m, TAN0107/50, 19 May 2001 .

Mahina Knoll: NIWA 6739 , 2 females (cl 8.0– 8.8 mm), 37°20.92–20.82’S, 177°05.95–06.23’E, 500– 463 m, TAN0413/125, 14 Nov 2004 ; NIWA 6740 , 1 female (cl 8.7 mm), 37°19.51–19.62’S, 177°05.42–05.11’E, 638– 542 m, TAN0413/127, 14 Nov 2004 .

Tuatoru Seamount: NIWA 6738 , 2 males (cl 9.5–10.8 mm), 37°28.25–28.41’S, 177°13.35–13.58’E, 207– 216 m, TAN0413/85, 12 Nov 2004 ; NIWA 6736 , 2 males (cl 9.8–10.4 mm), 37°27.63–27.91’S, 177°12.52– 12.18’E, 464–473 m, TAN0413/72, 12 Nov 2004 ; NIWA 6737 , 1 male (cl 5.2 mm), 37°28.84–28.64’S, 177°13.74–13.57’E, 454– 317 m, TAN0413/76, 12 Nov 2004 .

Ritchie Hill: NIWA 34969 , 1 male (cl 10.5 mm), 39°28.24–27.28’S, 178°24.76–25.17’E, 865– 741 m, KAH9907/40, 3 Jun 1999 .

Builders Pencil cold seep: NIWA 29350 , 2 females (cl 8.1–12.4 mm; smaller with rhizocephalan), 39°32.59–32.62’S, 178°20.17–19.72’E, 815– 812 m, TAN0616/21, 5 Nov 2006 .

Tims Bank, S of Ritchie Hill : NIWA 34971 , 1 damaged male, 40°01.2’S, 178°04.09’E, 797–804 m, KAH9907/01, 1 Jun 1999 .

Rock Garden cold seep: NIWA 29349 , 1 female (cl 10.5 mm), 40°02.31–02.47’S, 178°08.58–08.62’E, 730–747 m, TAN0616/06, 4 Nov 2006 .

Kereru cold seep, Uruti Ridge: NIWA 29353 , 4 females (cl 8.0– 12.3 mm), 41°17.32–17.17’S, 176°35.23– 35.49’E, 731– 720 m, TAN0616/70, 10 Nov 2006 .

Western Uruti Ridge: NIWA 29352 , 1 male (cl 9.9 mm), 1 female (cl 4.5 mm), 41°17.46–17.49’S, 176°32.88–33.12’E, 733– 722 m, TAN0616/68, 10 Nov 2006 .

Remarks. Pycnoplax victoriensis is the most common deepwater goneplacid in New Zealand waters, attaining at least 33 mm cl. It is recorded for the first time from a chemosynthetic habitat.

Distribution. Southern Australia and New Zealand, from Chalky Sound to the Chatham Rise, Challenger Plateau, the Bay of Plenty and Kermadec Ridge; 125–765 m ( McLay 1988).

Figures

FIGURE 15. A, Pycnoplax meridionalis (Rathbun, 1923), male, cl 13.2 mm (NIWA 6643). B, Pycnoplax victoriensis (Rathbun, 1923), female, cl 10.5 mm (NIWA 29349). C–G, Intesius richeri Crosnier & Ng, 2004, female, cl 15.5 mm (NIWA 27549). C, carapace. D, ventral. E, right chela. F, right cheliped carpus. G, right cheliped merus and carpus.

FIGURE 29. A, Pycnoplax meridionalis (Rathbun, 1923), male, cl 20.9 mm (NIWA 29658). B, Pycnoplax victoriensis (Rathbun, 1923), male, cl 10.4 mm (NIWA 6736). C, Mathildella mclayi sp. nov., female paratype, cl 11.9 mm (NIWA 6769). D, Neopilumnoplax nieli sp. nov., male paratype, cl 15.0 mm (NIWA 29651). E, Miersiella haswelli (Miers, 1886), male, cl 7.8 mm (NIWA 6760). F, Miersiella haswelli (Miers, 1886), ovigerous female, cl 7.1 mm (NIWA 6760). Photo credits: C. Marriot (A, D), R. Stewart (B–C, E–F).