Uroptychus hesperius Ahyong & Poore, 2004

Mccallum, Anna W. & Poore, Gary C. B., 2013, Chirostylidae of Australia’s western continental margin (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), with the description of five new species, Zootaxa 3664 (2), pp. 149-175 : 161

Uroptychus hesperius Ahyong & Poore, 2004

( Fig. 6 )

Uroptychus hesperius Ahyong & Poore, 2004a: 44 , fig. 11.—Poore et al., 2008: 17.

Material examined. Female, ovigerous, damaged carapace and missing both chelipeds as well as some walking legs (cl 10 mm), Western Australia, off Albany (35°26.05'S, 118°21'E – 35°26.25'S, 118°21.06'E), 900–915 m, 24 Nov 2005 (stn SS10-2005 044), CSIRO acquisition number 0 41, NMV J54999

Distribution. South-western Australia, 900–1020 m.

Remarks. This specimen generally agrees with the description of the holotype (Ahyong & Poore, 2004) but differs in a number of characters. Ahyong & Poore noted that the species is distinguished by the rounded outer orbital margin, but the specimen here has a small spine on the outer orbital margin. Another character used in their diagnosis is the presence of spines on the extensor margin of the merus of the walking legs; these are feeble in the north-western Australian specimen. Uroptychus hesperius closely resembles U. xipholepis (Van Dam, 1933) , U. hamatus (Zarenkov & Khodkina, 1981) and U. subsolanus Ahyong & Poore, 2004 in carapace shape, the serrated or spinous carapace margin, and in the distally broadened propodus on pereopods 2–4. Uroptychus hesperius can be distinguished from all these species by the presence of fine setae on the dorsum of the carapace and abdomen.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Uroptychus hesperius Ahyong & Poore 2004, female (10 mm), NMV J 54999. Carapace, dorsal, setae omitted. Scale = 5 mm.