Albunea elioti Benedict, 1904

Boyko, Christopher B., 2010, New records and taxonomic data for 14 species of sand crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae) from localities worldwide, Zootaxa 2555, pp. 49-61 : 53

Albunea elioti Benedict, 1904

( Fig. 1A, B )

Albunea ? elioti . — Garth et al., 1987: 239.

Albunea elioti . — Boyko, 2002: 254 –260, figs. 83, 84 (full synonymy).

Material examined. French Polynesia, Society Islands, Moorea: Sta. BIZ-223, Temae, at lighthouse, 0.5–2 m, reef crest and narrow lagoon with high current, in sand under rocks and rubble, coll. S. McPherson, S. McKeon, C. Meyer, H. Stewart, 3 Dec 2009: 1 male, 14.6 mm cl ( FLMNH UF 23345).

Distribution. Madagascar and the Seychelles eastward to Moorea, in up to 32 m depth ( Boyko 2002).

Colouration. Carapace rust coloured, with whitened bands lining carapace grooves; branchiostegite white with thin line of rust colouration dorsally; eyes rust coloured with whitened area proximal to corneae; antennae rust coloured on basal segments with white flagellae; abdomen and pereopods rust coloured with lighter areas in regions of setation; dactyli of pereopods mottled rust and white; setae rust coloured ( Fig. 1A, B ).

Remarks. This species was previously known in the Pacific as far east as Samoa ( Boyko 2002), and is now known from Moorea.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A, B, Albunea elioti Benedict, 1904 (FLMNH UF 23345), male, 14.6 mm CL; C, Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002 (BPBM S 12265), male, 17.5 mm CL; D, E, Albunea paretii Guérin-Méneville, 1853 (FLMNH UF 20177), female, 8.3 mm CL; F, G, Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002 (USNM 1138908), female, 12.1 mm CL. All photographs by Arthur Anker, except A by Kurt Kawamoto, all specimens photographed shortly after collection.