Neophrys inopinata, Lee & Forges & Ng, 2019

Lee, Bee Yan, Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2019, Deep-sea spider crabs of the family Epialtidae MacLeay, 1838, from Papua New Guinea, with a redefinition of Tunepugettia Ng, Komai & Sato, 2017, and descriptions of two new genera (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea), Zootaxa 4619 (1), pp. 1-44 : 35-40

Neophrys inopinata n. sp.

( Figs. 10D , 21 A–C)

Material examined. Holotype: ovigerous female (27.1 × 19.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-3022) [photographed], stn CP4302, 10°45’S 151°06’E, 434–590 m, coll. MADEEP Expedition, 2 May 2014.

Diagnosis. Carapace pyriform, covered with layer of setae. Pseudorostral spines cylindrical, straight, almost as long as carapace length, diverging, V-shaped ( Figs. 10D , 21A ). Supraorbital eave fused with carapace; slight angle on pre-orbital. Carapace with 7 spines and granules; 3 spines along median of carapace, 1 long mesogastric spine, 1 short cardiac spine, 1 short posterior spine ( Figs. 10D , 21A ).

Description. Carapace pyriform, covered with layer of setae. Pseudorostral spines cylindrical, straight, almost as long as carapace length, diverging, V-shaped. Supraorbital eave fused with carapace; slight angle on pre-orbital; postorbital lobe elongated, rounded at distal margin. Carapace with 7 spines and granules; 2 long hepatic spines directed outwards; 1 long mesogastric spine, slight curved, directed upwards, with 1 protogastric granule on each side; 2 granules on each epibranchial region; 1 short cardiac spine; 2 long lateral branchial spines directed outwards; 1 short posterior spine medially ( Figs. 10D , 21A ); 2 or 3 granules on lateral margin of carapace on edge of branchial region ( Fig. 21C ).

Antennal flagellum shorter than pseudorostral spines. Basal antennal article longer than broad, narrow width, distal angle sharp. Buccal frame covered by third maxilliped, distal angle of frame protruded slightly. Pterygostomial region with 3 or 4 granules on outer margin ( Fig. 21B ).

Cheliped slender, covered with setae except on fingers; propodus slightly inflated with ridge on margin; merus triangular in cross-sections. Ambulatory legs slender, covered with setae except on dactylus; P2 longest ( Figs. 10D , 21A ).

Coloration. Carapace pale orange in color with pseudorostral spines and carapace spines orange pink in color, ambulatory legs pale orange pink in color ( Fig. 10D ).

Etymology. The new species name, “ inopinata ” (unexpected in Latin), alludes to its unexpected discovery of this new species.

Remarks. Neophrys inopinata n. sp. is relatively large in size and bears a small number of long spines. Generic differences aside, the morphologically closest species that exhibit such spines are Rochinia paulayi Ng & Richer de Forges, 2007 , R. riversandersoni ( Alcock, 1895) , R. pulchra ( Miers, 1886) , and R. griffini Davie & Short, 1989 .

Comparing the holotype of R. paulayi , which is an ovigerous female the same size as Neophrys inopinata n. sp., several marked differences are apparent: R. paulayi has 17 long spines in total (cf. Ng & Richer de Forges 2007: fig. 1A) (versus only seven spines in Neophrys inopinata n. sp.; Figs. 10D , 21A ). The only comparable spines in length are the two hepatic and the two branchial spines. In R. paulayi , there are two sharp supraocular spines directed upward (cf. Ng & Richer de Forges 2007: figs. 1, 2A) (versus no spine at all in Neophrys inopinata n. sp.; Fig. 21A, C ). The ambulatory legs are also prominently shorter in Neophrys inopinata n. sp. ( Figs. 10D , 21A ) than in R. paulayi (cf. Ng & Richer de Forges, 2007: fig. 1A).

Rochinia riversandersoni , a species from India, has 15 spines on the carapace (cf. Alcock & Anderson 1896: pl. 22 figs. 2, 4), whereas there are only seven in Neophrys inopinata n. sp. ( Figs. 10D , 21A ). Rochinia pulchra has 20 spines on the carapace and only the two branchial spines are long (cf. Miers 1886: pl. 4 fig. 1). Rochinia griffini Davie & Short, 1989 , described from the Coral Sea, has a very spiny carapace with a total of 15 spines (cf. Davie & Short 1989: fig. 12). As these species do not exhibit similar generic morphological characters that define Neophrys n. gen., they are not transferred over to this genus (see Remarks for Neophrys n. gen.).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Color in life. A, Tunepugetia corbariae n. sp., paratype. male (22.8 × 14.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-2352), Papua New Guinea; B, Crocydocinus ewok n. sp., paratype, male, (19.7 × 13.4 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-1517), Papua New Guinea; C, C. porg n. sp., holotype, female (28.5 × 19.3 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-3042), Papua New Guinea; D, Neophrys inopinata n. sp., holotype, ovigerous female (27.1 × 19.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-3022), Papua New Guinea.

FIGURE 21. Neophrys inopinata n. sp., holotype, ovigerous female (27.1 × 19.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-3022), Papua New Guinea. A, overall dorsal view; B, overall ventral view; C, lateral view of carapace.