Ascidonia flavomaculata ( Heller, 1864 )

Fransen, Charles H. J. M., 2006, On Pontoniinae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palaemonidae) collected from ascidians, Zoosystema 28 (3), pp. 713-746 : 714-715

Ascidonia flavomaculata ( Heller, 1864)

Pontonia flavomaculata Heller, 1864: 51 (type locality: Adriatic Sea).

Ascidonia flavomaculata – Fransen 2002: 215-227, figs

137-147, pls 7, 8.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Lebanon. Rmaïlé , 40 m, in Ascidia mentula Müller, 1776 , 2.IX.1993, collected by Bitar, 1 ♂ pocl. 2.8 mm ; 1 non-ovigerous ♀ pocl. 3.8 mm (MNHN-Na 15216).

REMARKS

The species has been recorded from NE Atlantic from Morocco to the Gulf of Guinea and from the western Mediterranean as far east as the Aegean Sea. This is the first record of the species from the eastern Mediterranean.

The species is known to associate with various species in the Cionidae and Ascidiidae .

Ascidonia miserabilis ( Holthuis, 1951) ( Fig. 1 )

Pontonia miserabilis Holthuis, 1951: 148 , pl. 47, figs d-i (type locality: off Vieques, Puerto Rico).

Ascidonia miserabilis – Fransen 2002: 227-236, figs 148-154.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Guadeloupe. Anse de Baille , Argent face sud, date unknown, in Ascidia interrupta Heller, 1878 , 1 ♂ pocl. 1.7 mm ; 1 ovigerous ♀ pocl. 1.7 mm (MNHN-Na 8228).

REMARKS

Both specimens with all pereiopods detached. The largest minor chela, probably belonging to the male specimen as the chelae are relatively larger in males than in females compared to the postorbital carapace length, is different from those described by Fransen (2002) in which the fingers of the minor chela possess “several indistinct small teeth in proximal part of concave cutting edges”. The dactylus as well as the fixed finger of the largest minor chela have one distinct proximal tooth ( Fig. 1 ). The smaller minor chela, probably of the female, has the dactylus with one distinct proximal tooth and the fixed finger with one distinct proximal tooth followed by few indistinct teeth proximally.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Ascidonia miserabilis (Holthuis,1951), ♂, pocl. 1.7 mm, Guadeloupe (MNHN-Na 8228),chela of minor second pereiopod. Scale bar: 0.6 mm.