Camatopsis africana, Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016

Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016, Revision of the family Chasmocarcinidae Serène, 1964 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Goneplacoidea), Zootaxa 4209 (1), pp. 1-182 : 37-39

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4209.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:849BAB5C-464A-4B4A-A586-5742411EDC01
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5617095
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F16BFB33-FF87-FFDD-FF6A-F9E1FBB6FAB5
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Camatopsis africana
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Camatopsis africana View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B; 36A, B; 23C; 30B; 38G‒J; 51B; 58B; 67G‒I; 86B; 90B; 100C, D)

Type material. Holotype male (6.8 × 7.7 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1500), Mozambique, Mozambique Channel, MAINBAZA, stn CC3174, 25°33’S, 33°13’E, 253–262 m., 17.04.2009. GoogleMaps

Paratypes: MAINBAZA: 1 female (5.6 × 6.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008-10287) [photographed], Maputo transect, stn CP3133, 29°11’S 36°10’E, 200‒201 m, 10.04.2009 GoogleMaps ; 1 male (4.2 × 4.7 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1501), Zambezi transect, stn CC3150, 19°31’S, 36°46’E, 261–264 m, 13.04.2009 GoogleMaps ; 1 female (8.3 × 9.8 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008- 10286) [photographed], Zambezi transect, stn CC3151, 19°34’S, 36°45’E, 352–357 m, 13.04.2009 GoogleMaps ; 1 female (9.4 × 11.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008-10288) [photographed], Mozambique Channel, stn CC3174, 25°33’S, 33°13’E, 253– 262 m, 17.04.2009 GoogleMaps ; 1 male (5.7 × 6.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1574); MIRIKY: stn DW3238, 14°29’S, 47°27’E, 48–139 m, 06.07.2009; 2 females (6.1 × 7.2 mm, 8.2 × 9.6 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1033), off Nazeandry Bay , stn CP3289, 14°29’S, 47°26’E, 332–379 m, 14.07.2009 GoogleMaps .

Other material examined. Madagascar. ATIMO VATAE: 1 male (MNHN-IU-2010-4367), stn DW3529, 24°24’S, 47°33’E, 402–407 m, 01.05.2010 GoogleMaps ; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2010-4358), stn DW3582, 25°32’S, 44°16’E, 10.05.2010; 4 males, 7 females (ZRC 2015.210), 2 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4360), stn CP3583, 25°31’S, 44°16’E, 296–302 m, 10.05.2010; 2 males, 3 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4370c), stn CP3590, 25°03’S, 43°59’E, 300–309 m, 11.05.2010; 1 male, 3 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4363), stn CP3591, 25°03’S, 43°58’E, 400–402 m, 11.05.2010.

Diagnosis. Carapace ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B; 100C, D) subtrapezoidal, 1.1‒1.2 wider than long; front bilobed, with shallow median cleft; anterolateral margins arcuate, minutely granular with granules higher along lateral margins, without distinct lobes or teeth. Eye peduncle ( Fig. 23 View FIGURE 23 C) filling orbit, short, slightly mobile; cornea reduced, with reduced pigmentation. Posterior margin of epistome ( Fig. 23 View FIGURE 23 C) with semicircular median lobe with deep median fissure, semicircular lateral margins. Third maxilliped ( Fig. 30 View FIGURE 30 B) merus subquadrate, ischium slightly elongated, about same length as merus. Proportionally short ambulatory legs ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B), P5 merus 0.6 cl. Chelipeds ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B; 100C, D; 38G‒J) subequal in length, slightly dissimilar in females, heteromorphic in males. Major chela of males ( Fig. 38 View FIGURE 38 G) with thick propodus, cutting margins with wide teeth. Minor chela of both sexes ( Fig. 38 View FIGURE 38 H) with short teeth of about same size (one long, sharp tooth that overlaps dactylus when closed in largest paratype female). Inner margin of cheliped carpus with tooth in males, smooth in females. Fused thoracic sternites 1, 2 ( Fig. 51 View FIGURE 51 B) triangular, proportionally narrow, short. Male pleon ( Figs. 51 View FIGURE 51 B; 58B) with quadrate somite 6; proportionally short telson. G1 ( Fig. 67 View FIGURE 67 G, H) stout, distal segment gently curved, distal segment curved inwards towards sternum, with short to long spinules. G2 ( Fig. 67 View FIGURE 67 I) about 3/4 G1 length, straight, slender, distal segment short, straight. Female pleon ( Fig. 86 View FIGURE 86 B) with lateral margins of somites strongly convex; telson proportionally short. Sterno-pleonal cavity of female ( Fig. 90 View FIGURE 90 B) moderately deep, vulvae far apart from each other.

Colour. The carapace is yellowish-white to light brown or bright pink in life, the chelipeds and distal articles of the ambulatory legs white ( Fig. 100 View FIGURE 100 C, D).

Etymology. The species is named after the continent of Africa to denote its western Indian Ocean distribution.

Remarks. Diagnostic for the new species are of sharp teeth (or only one in the largest two females) that overlap the dactylar finger of the minor chela when closed ( Fig. 38 View FIGURE 38 H) as in most congeners, a median lobe of the epistome that is slightly shorter than in congeners ( Fig. 23 View FIGURE 23 C), a more quadrate carapace than in C. rubida ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B), relatively shorter ambulatory legs ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B), and the merus of the third maxilliped is more subquadrate with the ischium slightly elongated ( Fig. 30 View FIGURE 30 B).

Camatopsis africana is closest to C. rubida s. str. in the form of the G1, with both species found in the Indian Ocean. The distal part of the G 1 in large specimens of C. africana is nevertheless relatively less elongated, with relatively fewer long spinules ( Fig. 67 View FIGURE 67 G, H versus Fig. 67 View FIGURE 67 D, E). Camatopsis africana nevertheless can be easily separated from C. rubida by its proportionately shorter ambulatory legs ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 A, B versus Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ), and the male pleonite 6 being proportionately narrower ( Fig. 51 View FIGURE 51 B versus Fig. 51 View FIGURE 51 A).