Trichopeltarion alcocki Doflein

Islam, Atikul, Banerjee, Abhishek, Wati, Sisca Meida, Banerjee, Sumita, Shrivastava, Deepti & Srivastava, Kumar Chandan, 2022, Crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Sea off East and Southeast Asia Collected by the RV Hakuhō Maru (KH- 72 - 1 Cruise) 2. Timor Sea, Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series A, Zoology 48 (1), pp. 5-24 : 18-19

Trichopeltarion alcocki Doflein , in Chun, 1903

( Fig. 8D )

Material examined. RV Hakuhō Maru KH-72-1 cruise, sta. 33 (Off Sahul Shelf, 12°42.2′S, 123°07.6′E–12°42.0′S, 123°08.5′E, 535–547 m depth), 3 m beam trawl; June 26, 1972; 1 ♀ (NSMT-Cr 29269: CB 18.8 mm excluding lateral spines, CL 22.0 mm excluding rostrum).

Remarks. Among 23 Trichopeltarion species listed by Tavares and Cleva (2010), T. alcocki Doflein , in Chun, 1903 is one of the rarest species, with only few specimens known from the depths of the West Pacific. The identification, however, is not difficult owing to the extensive illustrations provided by the original author (1903, unnumbered figure; 1904, pl. 28 figs. 4–5, as Trichopeltarium), Guinot (1989, figs. 1, 8, pl. 1 figs. A–F, as Trachycarcinus ), and Tavares and Cleva (2010, figs. 12–13, 14A).

This species is close to T. ovale Anderson , 1896, ranging from Japan to Sri Lanka through Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia, 100– 928 m depth, but the ambulatory legs are distinctly longer and more slender. Otherwise, Tavares and Cleva (2010) reproduced the photograph of the holotype female and mentioned that the merus–carpus articulation of the last ambulatory leg almost reaches the second epibranchial tooth (lying well before the second tooth in T. ovale ).

Distribution. The type locality is the Siberut Strait, west of Sumatra, Indonesia, at 750 m depth. The other known localities are the Philippines, 1030–1650 m depth, and Taiwan; 718– 852 m depth.

Figures

Fig. 8. A–C: Tenagopelta potens (Davie and Richer de Forges), female (NSMT-Cr 29417: CB 8.2mm×CL 7.2mm) from sta. 26 (Timor Sea, 610–690m depth). D: Trichopeltarion alcocki Doflein, female (NSMT-Cr 29269: CB 18.8mm excluding lateral spines×CL 22.0mm excluding rostrum) from sta. 33 (Off Sahul Shelf, 535–547m depth).