Atlantolocia, Galil, 2009

Galil, Bella S., 2009, An examination of the genus Philyra Leach, 1817 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Leucosiidae) with descriptions of seven new genera and six new species, Zoosystema 31 (2), pp. 279-320 : 288-290

Genus Atlantolocia n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Philyra laevidorsalis Miers, 1881 .

ETYMOLOGY. — Atlantolocia – referring to its affinity with Seulocia Galil, 2005 , and the type species’ distribution along the Atlantic coast of Africa. Gender feminine.

DIAGNOSIS. — Carapace subpentagonal, globose; regions of carapace indistinct.Dorsal surface of carapace glabrous, punctate. Frontal region slightly produced, upcurved, laterally concave. Antennular fossa transversely ovoid, antennules fold obliquely within fossa. Antennae short, inserted between antennular fossa and orbit. Orbits small, rounded, outer orbital margin unisutured. Eyes retractable. Anterior margin of efferent branchial channel forms part of lower orbital margin, visible in dorsal view. External maxilliped exopod laciniate, as wide as endopod; endopodal ischium longer than subtriangular merus, bearing in female setose fringe lengthwise. Lateral margin of carapace beaded from outer orbital angle to last pereiopod; anterolateral margin sinuous, posterolateral margin rounded. Epimeral margin closely beaded, posteriorly visible in dorsal view, continuous with granulate posterior margin. Posterior margin straight in male, rounded in female; deflexed posterior surface granulate. Chelipeds subequal, robust, longer in adult male than in female specimens. Cheliped merus triquetral in cross-section, anterior, posterior margins tuberculate; spongy tomentum between tubercles proximally on dorsal surface. Carpus, propodus inflated; fingers longer than upper margin of palm. Pereiopods slender, short; dactyli longer than propodi, lanceolate, terminating in cornute tips. Male abdominal sulcus deep, elongate, nearly reaching buccal cavity. First abdominal segment of male transversely narrow; second segment small, spindle-shaped. Third to sixth abdominal segments fused; twice constricted at the commissure of the fifth and sixth segments; telson laciniate. Female abdomen with first segment transversely narrow, yoke-like; second to sixth segments fused, greatly enlarged, shield-like; telson triangular. First male pleopod elongate, shaft stout, sinuous, coiled twice on itself, apical process digitate, cornute. Second male pleopod short, curved, apex scoop-like, acuminate.

REMARKS

Miers (1881: 265) distinguished the species “from most of the other species of Philyra by its smooth and somewhat polished carapace and shorter robust chelipeds”, but due to the taxonomically confused state of Philyra and other leucosiid genera ( Galil 2001a, b; 2003) did not recognize it as a distinct genus. Atlantolocia n. gen. differs from Philyra s.s. in having narrow external maxilliped exopods; small, spindle-shaped second abdominal segment; and first male pleopod shaft coiled twice on itself, with short, digitate apical process. Though superficially resembling Seulocia Galil, 2005 , in its smooth, globose, subpentagonal carapace, Atlantolocia n. gen. is distinguished by its lack of thoracic sinus, the segmentation of the female abdomen, and the shape of the male abdomen and pleopods.

Atlantolocia laevidorsalis ( Miers, 1881) n. comb. ( Figs 2D ; 5 )

Philyra laevidorsalis Miers, 1881: 264 , pl. 15.2; 1886: 321. — A. Milne Edwards & Bouvier 1900: 58, pl. 13, figs 14, 15. — Rathbun 1900: 298. — Bouvier 1906: 199. — Balss 1921: 52. — Monod 1933: 487; 1956: 141, figs 169-176. — Capart 1951: 47, fig. 13. — Rossignol 1957: 77; 1962: 115. — Longhurst 1958: 87. — Buchanan 1958: 20. — Gauld 1960: 69. — Forest & Guinot 1966: 56. — Manning & Holthuis 1981: 66.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntypes: Senegal. Gorée I., purch. Hermann Maltzan, 1 ♂ cl 15.4 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 13.1, 14.4 mm, 3 juvs (NHM 1881.24) (the ♂ cl 15.4 mm is here designated the lectotype and the remaining specimens are now considered to be paralectotypes).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — West Africa. Guinean Trawling Survey, La Rafale, stn 8, 15 m, 31.III.1964, 12 ♂♂ cl 8.3-12.5 mm, 5 ovig. ♀♀ cl 7.6- 10.8 mm ( MNHN B.24228).

Mauritania. V.1923, coll. T. Monod, 5 ♂♂ cl 13.4- 13.9 mm ( MNHN).

Congo. Atlantide Exp., 7°19’S, 12°40’E, 47 m, 16.III.1946, 9 ♂♂ cl 11.0- 14.4 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 10.3, 11.8 mm ( ZMK CRU 4265).— 7°02’N, 11°42’W, 13 m, 27.X.1956, pres. A. R. Longhurst, 1 ♂ cl 11.4 mm, 2 ovig. ♀ cl 7.8, 12.2 mm (NHM 1957.5.26.178-180). — Off Kipundji, 22-25 m, 25-26.VIII.1965, 5 ♂♂ cl 9.1-14.9 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 10.9, 12.2 mm, ( MNHN B.17018).

Senegal. 1907, coll. A. Gruvel, id. E. L. Bouvier, 1 ♀ cl 14.0 mm ( MNHN B.17022). — Between Gorée and M’bao, 8. V.1952, 10 m, coll. I. Marche-Marchad, id. T. Monod, 2 specimens ( MNHN B.17031). — M’bao, 7.XII.1952, id. T. Monod, 1 ♂ cl 8.7 mm ( MNHN B.17034). — Cap Rouge, 14.IV.1909, coll. A. Gruvel, id. E. L. Bouvier, 4 ♂♂ cl 11.6-12.6 mm, 1 ♀ cl 11.9 mm ( MNHN B.17035).

Ivory Coast. Grand Bassam, I.1910, coll. A. Gruvel, id. E.L. Bouvier, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 9.4 mm ( MNHN B.17021). — Calypso, Golfe de Guinée Exp., 1956, 20- 25 m, 1 ♀ cl 11.2 mm ( MNHN B.17030).

Guinea. Calypso, Golfe de Guinée Exp., 1956, 18- 30 m, 1 ♂ cl 7.2 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 7.5 mm ( MNHN B.17029).

Republic of Benin. II.1910, 20 m, coll. A. Gruvel, id. E. L. Bouvier, 4 ♂♂ cl 12.5-13.8 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 10.8, 11.0 mm ( MNHN B.17036).

Cape Verde Is. Talisman, 1883 , 1 ♂ cl 13.1 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 11.4 mm ( MNHN B.17023).

São Tomé & Príncipe. Príncipe I., 1956, 10- 12 m, Calypso, Golfe de Guinée Exp., 1 ♀ cl 7.4 mm ( MNHN B.17038).

DISTRIBUTION. — West coast of Africa, from Cap Blanc, Mauritania, to Angola; Cape Verde Is, Príncipe I.

DESCRIPTION

Dorsal surface of carapace finely, sparsely punctate anteriorly. Front truncate, anterior margin of efferent branchial channel visible in dorsal view, anterior margin horizontal, medially with triangular denticle. Anterior margin of efferent channel straight, continuing into minutely beaded lateral margin. Margin of epibranchial angle of carapace more prominentely milled than antero- and posterolateral margin. Epimeral surface smooth. Deflexed surface of posterior margin granulate. Sternum smooth. Anterior margin of abdominal sulcus nearly smooth. Fused male abdominal segments 3-6 lacking laterobasal knobs, median denticle. Fused abdominal segments in female smooth. Cheliped merus 1.25 as long as carapace in male, perliform, prominent granules on its anterior, posterior margins, as well as proximally on upper surface. Row of granules on inner angle of carpus. Palm laterally convex, its upper margin bearing a single line of granules, lower margin rounded, minutely granulate, dactylar inner margins denticulate. Pereiopodal meri bearing granulate line on ventral margin and proximally on dorsal margin; propodi dorsally and ventrally carinate. First male pleopod shaft sinuous, distally setose; apical process spatulate.

Colour

“Uniforme gris brunâtre, plus claire sur la face inférieure; telson blanc ivoire.” ( Capart 1951: 47).

Figures

FIG. 2. — A, Philyra globus (Fabricius,1775) n. comb., ♂ cl 18.8 mm (NHM 1999.6),first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod; B, P. samia n. sp., ♂ holotype, cl 21.6 mm, South Africa (SAM A8335), first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod; C, Afrophila punctata (Bell,1855) n. comb.,♂ cl 20.1 mm, South Africa (USNM 252713),first male pleopod,distal end of first male pleopod,second male pleopod; D, Atlantolocia laevidorsalis (Miers, 1881) n. comb., ♂ lectotype cl 15.4 mm, Senegal, Gorée I. (NHM 1881.24), first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod; E, Atlantophila cristata (Miers, 1881) n. comb., ♂ lectotype cl 5.7 mm, Senegal, Gorée I. (NHM 1881.24), first male pleopod, dorsal and ventral views; F, Hiplyra platycheir (De Haan, 1841) n. comb., ♂ cl 15.5 mm, Japan (NSMT 9661), first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 5. — Atlantolocia laevidorsalis (Miers, 1881) n. comb., ♂ lectotype cl 15.4 mm, Senegal, Gorée I. (NHM 1881.24): A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.