Athanas shawnsmithi Anker, 2011

Anker, Arthur, Pratama, Idham Sumarto, Firdaus, Muhammad & Rahayu, Dwi Listyo, 2015, On some interesting marine decapod crustaceans (Alpheidae, Laomediidae, Strahlaxiidae) from Lombok, Indonesia, Zootaxa 3911 (3), pp. 301-342 : 313

Athanas shawnsmithi Anker, 2011

( Figs. 9 , 10 )

Athanas shawnsmithi Anker 2011a: 2 , figs. 1, 2, 8A–D.

Material examined. Indonesia. 1 male ( MZB Cru 4041), western Lombok, Teluk Medana, seagrass flat with sand, mud, some rubble-gravel, burrow, suction pump, 0.2–0.7 m, 12 May 2014 [LB-St3-30]; 4 females, 1 juvenile ( MZB Cru 4042), same collection data [LB-St3-24]; 1 ov. female ( RMNH. CRUS.D.56738), same collection data [LB-St3-29]; 1 ov. female ( RMNH D 56739), same collection data [LB-St3-26]; 1 ov. female ( MZB Cru 4043), western Lombok, Sira, seagrass flat with some muddy areas, burrow, suction pump, 0.2–0.5 m, leg. D.L. Rahayu et al., 13 May 2014 [LB-St4-30]; 1 male, 1 ov. female, 2 females ( OUMNH.ZC. 2014-10-06), same collection data [LB-St4-28]; 1 male ( OUMNH.ZC. 2014-10-07), same collection data [LB-St4-24]; 1 male ( OUMNH.ZC. 2014- 10-08), same collection data [LB-St4-35]; 1 female ( OUMNH.ZC. 2014-10-09), southern Lombok, Teluk Sekotong, seagrass flat, burrow, suction pump, 0.2–0.5 m, leg. D.L. Rahayu et al., 14 May 2014 [LB-St6-31]; 1 ov. female ( RMNH. CRUS.D.56740), same collection data [LB-St6-21B].

Taxonomic account. See Anker (2011a).

Habitat. Near-shore sand flats and seagrass flats with silted or muddy areas; “commensally” in burrows of unknown infaunal hosts (see below). Depth range: around 0.2– 1 m.

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific: Australia and Indonesia (new record) ( Anker 2011a; present study).

Remarks. This recently described species was hitherto known only from the type locality, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, Australia (Anker 2011). The material from Lombok agrees very well with the type specimens, including the diagnostic colour pattern ( Figs. 9 , 10 ; see also Anker 2011a: 8A–D). One difference in the colour pattern that may need further investigation is the colour of eggs in ovigerous females, which are greenish in the Australian specimens and yellow-orange in the Indonesian ones.

Athanas shawnsmithi appears to be one of the commoner symbiotic infaunal alpheids in Lombok, with specimens collected at three different stations (Teluk Medana, Sira, Teluk Sekotong). However, none of the 16 Lombok specimens of A. shawnsmithi was collected together with its burrowing host, which thus remains elusive (see also Anker 2011). The most likely “host candidates”, present at all three sites, are large callianassid ghost shrimps ( Glypturus , Neocallichirus ) and burrowing snapping shrimps ( Alpheus ).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Athanas shawnsmithi Anker, 2011: ovigerous female (cl 5.0 mm) from Teluk Medana, Lombok, Indonesia (RMNH. CRUS. D. 56738), A—dorsal view; B—lateral view.

FIGURE 10. Athanas shawnsmithi Anker, 2011: ovigerous female (cl 6.7 mm) from Teluk Sekotong, Lombok, Indonesia (RMNH. CRUS. D. 56740), A—dorsal view; B—lateral view.