New species and new records of sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) from deep waters in Western Australia
Author
Arango, Claudia P.
text
Zootaxa
2009
1977
1
20
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.185190
24ca7e3f-75f9-401c-abb1-a914a1c3dc22
1175-5326
185190
Parapallene challengeri
Calman 1937
(
Figure 8
B)
Parapallene challengeri
. —
Calman 1937
: 532
–534, figs. 1–6. —
Clark 1963
: 31
[key]. —
Stock 1991
:193
[key]. —
Staples 1997
:1057
, fig. 21.4f.
Material:
AM P72800,
1 female
.
22 November 2005
, Albany Point, Western
Australia
,
CSIRO
station 022- 126, collected with Sherman sled from
35.3350°S
118.2940°E
to
35.3366°S
118.2900°E
, soft and hard bottoms,
100 m
.
Remarks:
Differs from
holotype
of
Parapallene challengeri
in the wider distance between lateral processes, which in this specimen is 1.5 times their diameter. Also, the neck is longer, making the trunk length more than
7 mm
(
Fig. 8A
), while that of the
holotype
is
6 mm
. The legs, especially the femora, have tiny spines on bumps or knobs, giving them an irregular appearance. These bumps are not mentioned in the description of the
type
by
Calman (1937)
, but are indeed present in the
type
material as kindly confirmed by Roger Bamber who examined the
type
material at the Natural History Museum in London. All other characters match with the Calman’s species.
Parapallene challengeri
was first collected by the H.M.S. “Challenger” off New South
Wales
(
Calman 1937
) and has been also found at Bass Strait Islands and Gulf
St. Vincent
in South
Australia
(
Staples 1997
) all in shallower habitats (
24–80 m
). Assignment of this specimen from WA to
P. challengeri
implies the distribution range of the species is extended from the South East to the South West of
Australia
, suggesting its occurrence all along the southern Australian coastline.