Rathbunaria orientalis ( Balss, 1933 )

Ng, Peter K. L., 2010, On the Planopilumnidae Serène, 1984 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pseudozioidea), with diagnoses of two new pilumnoid genera for species previously assigned to Planopilumnus Balss, 1933, Zootaxa 2392, pp. 33-61 : 49-50

Rathbunaria orientalis ( Balss, 1933)

( Figs. 5–7 , 8 C, D, 9B, 10C, D)

Planopilumnus spongiosus subsp. orientalis Balss, 1933: 40 , text fig. 5B, pl. 5 fig. 26, pl. 6 figs. 27, 28. Rathbunaria sculptissima Ward, 1933: 387 , figs. 5, 6.

Planopilumnus spongiosus orientalis – Balss 1938: 59. — Serène 1968: 86.

Planopilumnus orientalis – Goh et al. 1990: 31, 37. — Davie 2002: 190, unnumbered figure. — Ng et al. 2008: 180.

Material examined. Lectotype (here designated): male (14.9 × 12.0 mm) ( ZMB 2977), Cape York, Australia, coll. Salmin; 1 female (16.1 × 13.0 mm) ( ZRC 1965.7.8.14), Pulau Ubin, Singapore, Jun. 1934; 1 female (10.4 × 7.9 mm) ( ZRC 1995.214), on Pavona coral, Pulau Semakau, Singapore, coll. B. Goh, 22 Aug. 1986.

Diagnosis. As for genus.

Remarks. As discussed under Remarks for the genus, Planopilumnus spongiosus orientalis Balss, 1933 , is regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Rathbunaria sculptissima Ward, 1933 . Rathbunaria sculptissima Ward, 1933 , however, remains as the type species of Rathbunaria Ward, 1933 . Planopilumnus spongiosus orientalis Balss, 1933 , was described from two males and two females from Cape York and Collingrove, Australia, and Palau. No holotype was selected so all the specimens are syntypes. The male specimen examined and figured here from Cape York (14.9 x 12.0 mm, ZMB 2977) is designated as the lectotype. Rathbunaria sculptissima Ward, 1933 , was described from one holotype female measuring 13 mm in carapace width from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, Australia. The descriptions and figures agree well and there is no doubt that they are conspecific.

Ward (1933: 387) noted that his type specimen of Rathbunaria sculptissima was collected from under a block of coral in a coral reef. Goh et al. (1990) reported a specimen obtained from a living piece of subtidal Pavona coral (Agaraciidae) in Singapore.

Planopilumnus orientalis is now known from Singapore ( Balss 1938), Palau ( Balss 1933) and Australia (Queensland, South Australia: Balss 1933; Ward 1933; Davie 2002). The record of Victoria by Davie (2002) was almost certainly incorrectly based on the report of “ Pilumnus spongiosus ” by Rathbun (1923), which is actually the oziid Eupilumnus laciniatus ( Sakai, 1980) (see Ng & Tan 1984; Ng 1992).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Rathbunaria orientalis (Balss, 1933), lectotype male (14.9 × 12.0 mm) (ZMB 2977). A, dorsal view; B, ventral view showing thoracic sternum and abdomen; C, frontal view.

FIGURE 6. Rathbunaria orientalis (Balss, 1933), lectotype male (14.9 × 12.0 mm) (ZMB 2977). A, dorsal view of carapace; left side denuded; B, frontal view showing orbits, epistome, antennule and antenna (denuded); C, left third maxilliped (denuded); D, left side of carapace showing channels (denuded); E, left chela (dorso-marginal view); F, right third ambulatory leg (denuded); G, right fourth ambulatory leg (denuded); H, anterior part of thoracic sternum (denuded). Scales: A, E, G = 3.0 mm; B, H = 2.0 mm; C, D = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 7. Rathbunaria orientalis (Balss, 1933), lectotype male (14.9 × 12.0 mm) (ZMB 2977). A, abdomen (denuded); B, left G 1 (ventral view); C, left G 1 (dorso-marginal view); D, distal part of left G 1 (ventral view); E, left G 2. Scales: A = 2.0 mm; B, C, E = 0.5 mm; D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Dorsal views of carapaces. A, Planopilumnus spongiosus (Nobili, 1905), syntype female (13.8 × 9.8 mm) (MNHN); B, Planopilumnus spongiosus (Nobili, 1905), male (25.6 × 19.0 mm) (ZRC 2009.349); C, Rathbunaria orientalis (Balss, 1933), female (10.4 × 7.9 mm) (ZRC 1995.214); D, Rathbunaria orientalis (Balss, 1933), female (16.1 × 13.0 mm) (ZRC 1965.7.8.14).