Deep-Sea decapod crustaceans (Caridea, Polychelida, Anomura and Brachyura) collected from the Nikko Seamounts, Mariana Arc, using a remotely operated vehicle “ Hyper-Dolphin ”
Author
Komai, Tomoyuki
Author
Tsuchida, Shinji
text
Zootaxa
2014
3764
3
279
316
journal article
46482
10.11646/zootaxa.3764.3.3
7efaa8aa-c1d7-4aad-8a01-7893447e9300
1175-5326
252580
F1B0E174-89C5-4A9E-B7DA-C5E27AF624D3
Cyrtomaia micronesica
Richer
de Forges & Ng, 2007
(
Figs. 22–25
,
26A–E
)
Cyrtomaia micronesica
Richer
de Forges & Ng, 2007: 62, figs. 1–4, 5B, D [
type
locality: off Haputo,
Guam
,
270 m
].—Ng
et al.
2008: 111 (list).
Material examined
. RV “Natsushima”, NT10-13 cruise, ROV “Hyper-Dolphin”, dive #1165, Northeast
Nikko
Seamount,
23°06.748’N
,
142°21.554’E
,
637 m
,
31 July 2010
, manipulator,
1 male
(39.0 ×
43.5 mm
), JAMSTEC
081529
-1; same dive,
23°06.709’N
,
142°21.873’E
,
553 m
,
1 male
(42.5 ×
50.5 mm
), JAMSTEC
081529
-2.
Coloration in life
. Dorsal side of body and appendages generally tan.
Distribution
. Previously known from
Guam
and
Palau
, at depths of
210–
600 m
. The present specimens extend the geographical range of this rarely collected species to the
Nikko
Seamount, south of Ogasawara Islands, at depths of
553–
637 m
. New records for Japanese marine fauna.
Ecology
. We often encountered this species during the dive, though only two specimens were collected. The individuals were found to be slowly wandering on rock substrates.
Remarks
. The larger male differs from the smaller male in the more elongate chelipeds with more stout chelae; spines on segments are less strong and/or less acute in the larger specimen than in the smaller specimen. The variation seems to be size-related.
FIGURE 25
.
Cyrtomaia micronesica
Richer
de Forges & Ng, 2007, left chela. A, male (42.5 × 50.5 mm), JAMSTEC 081529- 2; B, male (39.0 x 43.5 mm), JAMSTEC 081529-1.
The present specimens agree generally with the original description of
Cyrtomaia micronesica
in the following diagnostic characters: carapace surfaces finely granular, with small tubercles on branchial regions (
Fig. 23
A); carapace armature including pseudorostral spines distinctly longer than rostrum, very long, smooth, slightly divergent protogastric spines, tiny median gastric spine, strong, acute postocular spines, very small orbital intercalated spines, very small anterior branchial spines, and two cardiac spines reduced to small tubercles; epibranchial and posterior branchial spines reduced to minute tubercles, intestinal spine also reduced to very low protuberance (
Figs. 23
A, B, 24); blunt longitudinal ridge connecting orbital intercalated spine and protogastric spine present (
Fig. 23
B); eyestalk short, only reaching to orbital intercalated spine, with minute tubercle near base of cornea (
Figs. 23
B, 24); second pereopod longer than cheliped, merus bearing slender spines on anteroventral surface arranged in two rows (
Fig. 22
); third pereopod shorter than second pereopod, though similar in general armature (
Fig. 22
); fourth and fifth pereopods unarmed except for prominent dorsodistal spine on each merus (
Fig. 22
); and first abdominal somite with one small median tubercle (
Fig. 23
A). On the other hand, the cheliped of the
holotype
appears intermediate between the present specimens in the development of spines and the shape of the chela (cf. Richer de Forges & Ng 2007: fig. 4B, C;
Figs. 25
A, B); the basal segment of the antennal peduncle is armed with three spines in the present specimens (
Fig. 26A
), rather than four in the
type
description. Richer de Forges & Ng (2007) cited the length of the cheliped in differentiating
C. micronesica
and
C. cornuta
Richer
de Forges & Guinot, 1988, but the examination of the present specimens shows that the length of the cheliped increases with growth in
C. micronesica
.
Although the male first gonopod of the present specimens (
Fig. 26B–E
) agrees well with the figure provided by Richer de Forges & Ng (2007), the original description of the distal part of the male first gonopod may be misleading. The distal part of the male first gonopod of this species is actually flattened, forming a rounded apex in the distal view (
Fig. 26E
); the acuteness of the tip mentioned in the original description actually reflects the strong degree of the compression.