A new freshwater crab of the family Hymenosomatidae MacLeay, 1838 from New Caledonia (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) and an updated review of the hymenosomatid fauna of New Caledonia
Author
D., Guinot
ISYEB (CNRS, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université), Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, case postale 53, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
guinot@mnhn.fr
Author
de, Mazancourt V.
Unité Biologie des organismes et écosystèmes aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, CP 26, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France & Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstrasse 43, 10115 Berlin. Germany.
valentin.seizilles-de-mazancourt@edu.mnhn.fr
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2020
2020-06-22
671
1
29
journal article
21610
10.5852/ejt.2020.671
6f6af3d0-601d-47dc-849d-8ad21170e570
2118-9773
3906756
9EF19154-D2FE-4009-985C-1EB62CC9ACB0
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:
CFE7F3D1-10CD-4092-96C2-25B525020D85
Figs 1–5
Etymology
The species name is in honour of Gérard Marquet, who made extensive collections of freshwater crustaceans for more than 30 years in the Indo-Pacific islands and in particular in
New Caledonia
where he collected the new species here described, for his friendship and his constant enthusiasm in the field as well as in the laboratory.
Type material
Holotype
(
Figs 1–2
,
4
)
NEW CALEDONIA
•
♂
, 4.9 × 5.0 mm;
South Province
,
Bourail township
,
Bouïrou village
,
Pouéo River, tributary of the Néra
;
21º26.326ʹ S
,
165º31.909ʹ E
;
180 m
a.s.l.
;
28 Sep. 2016
;
Valentin de Mazancourt
and
Gérard Marquet
leg.; DNA voucher: CA2188; GenBank:
MT364999
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21500
.
Paratypes
NEW CALEDONIA
–
South Province
•
1 ♂
, 4.5 ×
4.7 mm
; same collection data as for holotype; DNA voucher: CA2189; GenBank:
MT365000
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21504
•
1 immature
;
South Province
,
Bourail township
,
Bouïrou village
,
Pouéo River, tributary of the Néra, st. HYNC 799
;
21º26.310ʹ S
,
165º31.917ʹ E
;
186 m
a.s.l.
;
17 Nov. 2017
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped;
Valentin de Mazancourt
and
Nicolas Charpin
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2014-21188
•
1 ♀
, 5.0 ×
5.4 mm
; same collection data as for preceding; DNA voucher: CA2185; GenBank:
MT364996
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21505
•
1 ♂
, 4.8 ×
5.2 mm
; same collection data as for preceding; DNA voucher: CA2186; GenBank:
MT364997
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21506
. –
North Province
•
1 ovigerous
♀
, 7.0 ×
7.1 mm
;
Houaïlou township
,
Creek stream, tributary of the Böua at level of the Néaoua dam, st. HYNC 1823
;
21º21.890ʹ S
165º32.683ʹ E
;
476 m
a.s.l.
;
9 Oct. 2017
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped,;
Nicolas Charpin
leg.; DNA voucher: CA2197; GenBank:
MT365001
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21501
•
1 ♂
, 4.1 × 4.0 mm; same collection data as for preceding; DNA voucher: CA2198; GenBank:
MT365002
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21502
•
3 immature
specs; same collection data as for preceding; DNA voucher: CA2187; GenBak:
MT364998
;
MNHN-IU-2014-21503
.
Comparative material
Odiomaris pilosus
(A. Milne-Edwards, 1873)
(
Figs 6–7
)
NEW CALEDONIA
•
3 specs
,
syntypes
of
Elamene
(for
Elamena
)
pilosa
, dry condition;
M. Balansa
leg.; MNHN-IU-2000-657 =
MNHN-B657
•
3 specs
,
syntypes
of
Elamene
(for
Elamena
)
pilosa
, in ethanol;
M. Balansa
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-11869 =
MNHN-B17725
•
2 specs
,
syntypes
of
Elamene
(for
Elamena
)
pilosa
, in ethanol;
M. Balansa
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-11870 =
MNHN-B17726
•
2 specs
,
syntypes
of
Elamene
(for
Elamena
)
pilosa
;
RMNH
D32 (see
Fransen
et al
. 1997
)
•
2 ovigerous
♀♀
;
North Province
,
Pouébo township
, Pwébalariuu stream;
20º30.135ʹ S
,
164º45.618ʹ E
;
12 m
a.s.l.;
2 Feb. 2013
;
Laura Taillebois
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2017-9407
•
1 ♀
;
South Province
,
Thio township
,
Petit Borindi village
,
Ngoi River
; 21º49.35ʹ31ʺ S, 166°27ʹ28.23ʺ E;
59 m
a.s.l.;
16 Aug. 2017
;
Nicolas Charpin
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2018-2997
•
4 ♂♂
;
North Province
,
Kaala-Gomen township
,
Tegon locality
,
Iouanga River
,
st. HYNC 720
;
20º41.032ʹ S
,
164º23.676ʹ E
;
4 m
a.s.l.;
17 Nov. 2016
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Valentin de Mazancourt
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2018-2999
.
Odiomaris
aff.
pilosus
See below ‘Remarks on
Odiomaris
aff.
pilosus
from the Iouanga River and two other streams’.
Odiomaris estuarius
Davie & Richer de Forges, 1996
(
Fig. 8
A–B)
NEW CALEDONIA
•
♂
,
holotype
(4.5 ×
4.3 mm
);
South Province
,
Dumbea estuary
;
8 Dec. 1993
;
P
. Davie
and
Richer de Forges
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-11855 =
MNHN-B25278
•
4 ♂♂
,
paratypes
(4.7 ×
4.4 mm
, 4.0 ×
3.6 mm
, 3.6 ×
3.4 mm
, 2.7 ×
2.7 mm
),
4 ♀♀
,
paratypes
(5.4 × 5.0 mm, 4.1 ×
3.9 mm
, 4.0 ×
3.5 mm
, 3.8 ×
3.4 mm
); same collection data as for holotype; MNHN-IU-2014-11856 =
MNHN-B25275
.
Amarinus lacustris
(Chilton, 1882)
AUSTRALIA
•
2 ♂♂
,
3 ♀♀
; NE
Tasmania
,
Scamander
,
Scamander River
;
10 Feb. 1977
;
M. Takeda
leg.;
ZRC 1993.6513.6517
.
Neorhynchoplax euryrostris
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
(
Fig. 9
A–B)
NEW
CALEDONIA
–
North Province
•
1 spec.
;
Kaala-Gomen township
,
Tegon locality
,
Iouanga River
,
st. HYNC 720
;
20º41.032ʹ
S
,
164º23.676ʹ
E
;
4 m
a.s.l.
;
9
Nov.
2016
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Valentin de Mazancourt
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2014-21508
•
1 spec.
; same collection data as for preceding;
MNHN-IU-2014-21509
•
1 ♂
,
1 ovigerous
♀
,
1 spec.
;
Canala township
,
stream tributary of the Negropo River, st. HYNC 790
;
21º30.765ʹ
S
,
165º56.438ʹ
E
;
4 m
a.s.l.
;
9 Nov. 2017
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Valentin de Mazancourt
and
Nicolas Charpin
leg.;
MNHN- IU-2014-21510
•
1 spec.
; same collection data as for preceding;
MNHN-IU-2014-21511
•
1 spec.
; same collection data as for preceding;
MNHN-IU-2014-21512
•
1 spec.
; same collection data as for preceding;
MNHN-IU-2014-21513
. —
South Province
•
1 spec.
;
Bourail township
,
Rivière du Cap
,
st. HYNC 1801
;
21º31.069ʹ
S
,
165º17.287ʹ
E
;
9 m
a.s.l.
;
4 Oct. 2017
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Nicolas Charpin
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2014-
21514
.
Elamenopsis lineata
A
. Milne-Edwards, 1873
NEW CALEDONIA
•
♀
,
holotype
(2.6 × 2.0 mm);
South Province
,
Dotio
(sable du Dotio);
M. Balansa
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-7783 =
MNHN-B651
(see
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996: 263
, fig. 1a–b;
Ng & Chuang 1996: 40
, fig. 15a–b, e).
Lucascinus keijibabai
(
Takeda & Miyake, 1971
)
NEW
CALEDONIA
–
South Province
•
1 ♂
;
South Province
,
Thio
;
1 m
depth
; MNHN IU-2014-7146 =
MNHN-B25970
•
6 ♂♂
,
7 ♀♀
;
Nouméa
,
Ricaudy Reef
;
MNHN IU-2014-7135
(see
Poore
et al
. 2016
)
.
Micas minutus
(
A
. Milne-Edwards, 1873)
NEW CALEDONIA
•
♂
,
lectotype
(designated by
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
) (3.4 ×
3.5 mm
);
M. Marie
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-7784 =
MNHN-B656
(see
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996: 265
, 269, fig. 3, as MNHN-B656Sa).
Micas falcipes
Ng & Richer de Forges, 1996
NEW
CALEDONIA
•
1 ♂
,
paratype
(2.8 ×
2.7 mm
),
1 ♀
,
paratype
(3.1 ×
2.6 mm
);
South Province
,
Nouméa
,
low tide at Ouemo
;
2 Jul. 1992
;
B
. Richer de Forges
leg.;
MNHN-B24915
(see
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996: 269
, fig. 4, as MNHN-B24915b)
.
Elamena vesca
Ng & Richer de Forges, 1996
NEW
CALEDONIA
•
♂
,
holotype
(6.0 ×
5.4 mm
);
South Province
,
Nouméa
,
intertidal region, low tide at Ouemo
;
2 Jul. 1992
;
B
. Richer de Forges
leg.; MNHN-IU-2014-7781 =
MNHN-B22843
(see
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 8a, c–e, g–i)
.
Description
Carapace (
Figs 1A
,
5B
) approximately circular to oval, slightly broader than long; dorsal carapace surface slightly concave, not strongly outlined by grooves, only with well defined gastrocardiac and thoracic grooves, approaching but not reaching antero- and posterolateral margins, respectively; no row of setae along lateral margins, except for some regularly mid-spaced setae in males; carapace angles not well marked. Anterolateral margin entire, without crenulations, lobes or teeth. Branchiostegite only weakly visible dorsally.
Eyes visible dorsally. Antennules (
Fig. 1B
) obliquely folded along hollowed ventral parts of rostrum and entirely hidden dorsally. Antennae well separated from antennules, at least at their bases; urinary article at level of epistome. Rostrum (
Figs 1
,
4
,
5
B–D) broadly rounded, spade-shaped, barely deflexed; dorsal surface spatulate with marked depression; carapace rim as a small ridge continuous across behind rostrum. Proepistome represented by triangular ventral expansion of rostrum (
Fig. 1B
). Epistome moderately developed; anterior margin undulated. Lower orbital margin with one conspicuous knob, not visible dorsally. Pterygostomial regions with setae, distinctly separated from subhepatic area by marked ridge. Mxp3 moderately gaping, broad; merus and ischium broad, short; midlength of merus slightly longer than that of ischium (
Figs 1B
,
2B
). Sternum/pterygostome junction substantially developed due to extension of sternite 4. Milne-Edwards openings separated from chelipeds.
Male chelipeds much stouter than walking legs, particularly in large males (
Fig. 4
); merus and carpus with stiff, regularly spaced setae; propodus very inflated, covered with long soft setae partially extending on fingers; fingers with finely denticulate cutting edges, not gaping. Female chelipeds narrow, propodus moderately inflated, devoid of long setae; fingers proportionally rather long, with with finely denticulate cutting edges completely joined. Walking legs proportionally rather long, with margins bearing stiff, regularly spaced, scattered setae; dactyli slender but not distinctly longer than respective propodi, smoothly curved, setose, without teeth, ending in pointed tip.
Fig. 1.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype, ♂, New Caledonia, South Province, 21º26.326ʹ S, 165º31.909ʹ E, Pouéo River, tributary of the Néra, Bouïrou village, Bourail township, 180 m a.s.l., Valentin de Mazancourt and Gérard Marquet leg., 28 Sep. 2016, 4.9 × 5.0 mm (MNHN-IU-2014-21500).
A
. Carapace, dorsal view.
B
. Cephalothorax, ventral view, anterior part, with unfolded antennules, the arrow shows antennule with folded second article. Abbreviations: a1 = antennule; a2 = antenna; e = epistome; p.k. = postorbital knob; r = rostrum; u.a. = antennal urinary article; v.r. = ventral expansion of rostrum; 2/3 = thoracic sternal suture 2/3. Scale bar = 2 mm.
Fig. 2.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype, ♂, 4.9 × 5.0 mm (MNHN-IU-2014-21500), same collection data as Fig. 1.
A
. Thoracic sternum.
B
. Mxp3.
C
. Sternopleonal cavity with G1s.
D
. G1, two views. Abbreviations: G1 = gonopod 1; G2 = gonopod 2; i = intercalated platelets; p = pleotelson; p.b. = press-button; s4 = expansion of sternite 4; 1–8 = thoracic sternites 1–8; 2/3–7/8 = thoracic sternal sutures 2/3–7/8. Scale bars: A = 2 mm; B–C = 1 mm; D = 0.5 mm.
Fig. 3.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, paratype, ovigerous ♀, New Caledonia: North Province, 21º21.890ʹ S, 165º32.683ʹ E, Creek stream, tributary of the Böua at level of the Néaoua dam, Houaïlou township, st. HYNC 1823, 476 m a.s.l., “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio Expedition, Nicolas Charpin leg., 9 Oct. 2017, 7.0 × 7.1 mm (MNHN-IU-2014-21501).
A
.Thoracic sternum, with lowered pleon.
B
. Pleon. Abbreviations: b.a. = branchiosternal aperture; e = egg; s4 = expansion of sternite 4; v = vulva; 4–8 = thoracic sternites 4–8. Scale bar = 3 mm.
Fig. 4.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype, ♂, New Caledonia, South Province, 21º26.326ʹ S, 165º31.909ʹ E, Pouéo River, tributary of the Néra, Bouïrou village, Bourail township, 180 m a.s.l., Valentin de Mazancourt and Gérard Marquet leg., 28 Sep. 2016, 4.9 × 5.0 mm (MNHN-IU-2014-21500).
A
. Dorsal view.
B
. Ventral view. Scale bars = 2 mm.
Thoracic sternum of male (
Fig. 2A
) with sternites 4–8 considerably enlarged, with suture 4/5 to 7/8 laterally confined. Sternites 1 and 2 not separated by suture but their demarcation visible on lateral margins; sternite 2 separated from sternite 3 by complete suture; sternite 3 as narrow pentagonal band; suture 3/4 tiny, only lateral, just at level of extension of sternite 4. No longitudinal line. Paired branchiosternal canal apertures located posterolaterally on sternite 8, concealed by pleon (
Fig. 3A
).
Sternopleonal cavity of male short, triangular, deep (
Fig. 2C
). Pleons in both sexes (
Figs 2A
,
3B
) without fused somites, except 6 fused to telson, thus five somites plus pleotelson. Male pleon widely triangular, regularly widening from base to pleotelson; pleotelson widely triangular, somewhat trilobed, with intercalated plates partially delineated, salient and visible laterally at base, partially included. Pressbutton on lateral side of sternopleonal cavity (
Fig. 2C
). Male gonopore sternal.
Female pleon (
Fig. 3
A–B) oval to expanded in ovigerous females. Female pleopods 2–5 biramous. Ovigerous females with very few and large eggs measuring
0.96 mm
in diameter (
Fig. 3A
). Vulvae located on undivided portion of thoracic sternum corresponding to sternite 6, thus not deplaced anteriorly. First gonopods stout, practically filling most of sternopleonal cavity (
Fig. 2C
). G1 curved at base, otherwise with little curvature, with terminal portion bearing fine setae, terminating in one lobe, without corneous process (
Fig. 2D
).
Fig. 5.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, holotype, ♂, New Caledonia, South Province, 21º26.326ʹ S, 165º31.909ʹ E, Pouéo River, tributary of the Néra, Bouïrou village, Bourail township, 180 m a.s.l., Valentin de Mazancourt and Gérard Marquet leg., 28 Sep. 2016, 4.9 × 5.0 mm (MNHN-IU-2014-21500).
A
. Type locality, stream where several specimens of the species were collected.
B–D
. Views of the holotype in vivo: dorsal (B), ventral (C) and frontal (D).
Colour
In life (
Fig. 5
B–D), the colour is overall brown, mottled with yellowish dots.
Distribution
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
is exclusively known from freshwaters in small flowing streams where it lives among the aquatic vegetation (
Fig. 5A
). It is found at an altitude of up
500 m
, therefore further from the sea than
Odiomaris pilosus
(that is usually encountered in the lower course of rivers). By comparison,
Amarinus lacustris
(Chilton, 1882)
has been reported from
New Zealand
freshwaters from Lord Howe Island at altitudes between
61–92 m
(
Etheridge
1889
) and even about
800–900 m
(
Chilton
1915
;
Holthuis
1968
);
A. angelicus
Holthuis, 1968
, from the central mountain range of
Papua New Guinea
, was collected in pure freshwater of a watercress swamp at an altitude of
1600 m
(
Holthuis
1968
,
1982
).
Remarks
The subfamily
Odiomarinae
was erected by
Guinot (2011a)
to receive two genera of the family
Hymenosomatidae
characterised by the presence on the male pleon of intercalated platelets, either articulated and moveable (
Guinot 2011a
: fig. 2) or relatively less well-demarcated:
Odiomaris
Ng & Richer de Forges, 1996
, endemic to
New Caledonia
, and
Amarinu
(at least
pro parte
), mostly from fresh and estuarine waters of the Indo-West Pacific region.
Richeriu
s gen. nov. shows several plesiomorphic characters that include the male and female pleons without fused somites (except for pleotelson), thus consisting of six elements (namely the maximum of somites existing in
Hymenosomatidae
), the prominent, partially demarcated intercalated platelets, the thoracic sternum with the anterior sternites forming a small produced plate, the vulvae not anteriorly displaced, the G1 only gently curved and simple.
Richerius
gen. nov.
can be assigned to the
Odiomarinae
.
Odiomaris
is known from two species: the
type
species
Elamena pilosa
A. Milne-Edwards, 1873
, referred to as
Halicarcinus
White, 1846
by
Holthuis (1968)
, as
Amarinus
by
Lucas (1980)
then as
Odiomaris
by
Ng & Richer de Forges (1996)
, mainly freshwater but also euryhaline; and
O. estuarius
Davie & Richer de Forges, 1996
, exclusively brackish. An important difference between these two species is the rostrum: it is lowered ventrally as a triangular, V-shaped projection in
O. pilosus
so as to be positioned between the antennules (
Fig. 7A
) (A. Milne-Edwards 1873: pl. 18, fig. 6a, as
Elamene pilosa
;
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 6c–d), whereas it is spatulate and does not extend to form a ventral projection between the antennules in
O. estuarius
(
Fig. 8
A–B) (
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 1a–b).
Richerius
gen. nov.
shares with
Odiomaris
the same arrangement of the cephalic appendices. But its rostrum is spatulate without folding down ventrally (
Figs 1
,
4
,
5D
), instead of being lowered ventrally as a V-shaped projection located between the antennules as in
Odiomaris pilosus
(
Fig. 7A
). In
Richerius
gen. nov.
(
Fig. 1B
), the proepistome is represented by a ventral expansion of the rostrum; therefore, the antennules are located along the proepistome, whereas in
Odiomaris pilosus
the antennules are obliquely folded in a fossa hollowed all along with the lateral parts of the V-shaped rostrum and the eye.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
actually has a rostrum and proepistome more similar to those of
O. estuarius
(
Fig. 8
) (
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 1) than to those of
O. pilosus
. In fact, the genus-level differences between
Richerius
gen. nov.
and
Odiomaris
remain unclear. Actually,
O. estuarius
seems morphologically closer to
Richerius
gen. nov.
than to
O. pilosus
, at least in some characteristics. A possible transfer of
O. estuarius
to
Richerius
gen. nov.
has been considered but needs to be decided later, especially when the status of
Odiomaris
aff.
pilosus
is resolved (see below, ‘Remarks on
Odiomaris
aff.
pilosus
from the Iouanga River and two other streams’).
Along the lower orbital margin there are two salient knobs in both species of
Odiomaris
, both prominent in dorsal view in
O. pilosus
(A. Milne-Edwards 1873: pl. 18, fig. 6a;
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 6a, d, not figured in fig. 6c;
Guinot & Richer de Forges 1997
: figs 1a, c, 2c), but shorter and not dorsally visible in
O. estuarius
(
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 1a; not figured in fig. 1b). In contrast, there is only one, smaller knob in
Richerius
gen. nov.
(
Fig. 1B
). The cheliped palm of
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
is covered with long, flexible setae (
Fig. 5
C–D), instead of numerous spinules (or stiff setae) in
O. pilosus
(
Fig. 6
) (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873: pl. 18, fig. 6d;
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 6f), and sparse, short setae in
O. estuarius
(
Fig. 8
). In fact, the whole body (including the margins of the rostrum) and legs of
O. pilosus
are covered with spiniform, stiff setae that give a bristle appearance (
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: figs 5a–b, 6a, d;
Guinot & Richer de Forges 1997
: fig. 1a), whereas
O. estuarius
has a carapace with soft, short setae and legs with longer setae (
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 1a). The male cheliped fingers are practically joining in
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
(
Fig. 5C
), but with a broad proximal gap in
O. pilosus
(
Fig. 6
A–B) (A. Milne-Edwards 1873: 322, pl. 18, fig. 6, 6d, as
Elamene pilosa
;
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 6f); in
O. estuarius
the chelae are narrower, with long fingers without marked gap (
Fig. 8
A–B) (
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 1). The grooves on the carapace dorsal surface are very distinct in
O. pilosus
, well marked in
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, whereas almost indiscernible in
O. estuarius
. The sterno-pleonal cavity is short in
Richerius
gen. nov.
and in
Odiomaris
, and accordingly the pleon also. The male pleon is as a narrow triangle, with a long pleotelson in both
Odiomaris
species (A. Milne-Edwards 1873: pl. 18, fig. 6b, as
Elamene pilosa
;
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 7a–b;
Guinot & Richer de Forges 1997
: fig. 2a:
O. pilosus
;
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 2c:
O. estuarius
), markedly wider and with a much shorter pleotelson in
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
(
Fig. 2A
). The intercalated platelets, which are completely demarcated and moveable in
O. pilosus
(
Guinot 2011a
: fig. 2), are only partially delineated in
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
, and not detached in
O. estuarius
.
The female pleon is rather similar in
Richerius
gen. nov.
and
Odiomaris
, with five somites plus pleotelson. The G1 of
Richerius
gen. nov.
(
Fig. 2D
) is curved at the base, otherwise with little curvature, with a terminal portion bearing fine setae and ending in one lobe without corneous process, whereas the G1 of
Odiomaris
is characterised by two distinct distal processes, a longer corneous process and a shorter lobular elongation of the stem (
Fig. 7B
:
O. pilosus
) (
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 7c– d:
O. pilosus
;
Davie & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 2c:
O. estuarius
).
O. estuarius
is a much smaller species than
O. pilosus
, and
R. marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
seems to be nearly as small as
O. estuarius
.
The main differences to distinguish the two genera
Odiomaris
and
Amarinus
stated by
Davie & Richer de Forges (1996: 259)
were: 1) in
Odiomaris
, the G1 (see
Fig. 7B
) more slender, with two distinct distal processes, a longer corneous process and a shorter lobular elongation of the stem than in
Amarinus
; 2) in
Odiomaris
, the elongated triangular telson of the male pleon is significantly longer than wide at base, whereas in
Amarinus
the telson is more or less rounded and short, being much wider than long.
The genus
Amarinus
Lucas, 1980
(
type
species by original designation:
Elamena lacustris
Chilton, 1882
) is known from more than ten species. They all inhabit low salinity environments, from brackish habitats to pure freshwater waters permanently (streams, lakes, swamps), and have a large distribution (
New Zealand
,
Australia
,
Indonesia
, the
Philippines
,
Papua New Guinea
). Cases where
Amarinus
has been reported from
New Caledonia
, as in
Chuang & Ng (1994: 87
, 90, table 1, under
A. pilosus
) and erroneously as in
Guinot (2011a: 23)
, are attributable to the fact that the species
pilosus
was previously associated with the genus
Amarinus
(see
Lucas 1980
) until
Ng & Richer de Forges (1996)
made it the
type
species of their new genus
Odiomaris
. So far, no species of
Amarinu
s has actually been reported in
New Caledonia
. Suspecting that our new species might belong to the genus
Amarinus
, we therefore carefully compared
Richerius
gen. nov.
to
Amarinus
, and in particular to its
type
species,
A. lacustris
, another freshwater hymenosomatid.
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
can be distinguished from
Amarinus lacustris
by: the wide male pleon, with prominent marks corresponding to intercalated platelets (
Fig. 2A
) (versus narrow and without intercalated platelets in
A. lacustris
, see Melrose 1975: fig.
42g
;
Lucas 1980
: fig. 7b); the G1 rather narrow and with one distal lobe without corneous process (
Fig. 2D
) (versus stout and without lobes, see Melrose 1975: fig. 42h–i;
Lucas 1980
: fig. 10e); and by the arrangement of antennules and antennae.
In providing a key of the Southeast Asian hymenosomatids,
Ng & Chuang (1996: 3–5
, 6–12) have shown the presence of several groups of species within
Amarinus
, suggesting that the genus could be paraphyletic. Today, another problem arises, especially regarding the antennular morphology. Melrose (1975: 84, 87, figs 41–42, as
Halicarcinus lacustris
), who has thoroughly studied the
type
species
A. lacustris
, confined to lakes and non-tidal rivers of
New Zealand
and southeastern
Australia
, states that the antennules are “small, not visible dorsally when folded”. Her figure 41d actually seems to show a folded antennule, only with the broad basal article and the second cylindrical article, without the short, supposedly folded flagellum being seen [the frontal view of fig. 41e in Melrose (1975) shows a complete, unfolded antennule]. Our examination of
Amarinus lacustris
, on the other hand, reveals that both antennules and antennae are inserted very closely together at their bases and remain parallel, with both flagella visible dorsally, as represented by
Lucas (1980
: fig. 1d) for a generalised hymenosomatid or by Melrose (1975: fig. 43c) for
Halicarinus tongi
Melrose, 1975
. In fact, if it is possible for the antennule of
A. lacustris
to fold itself down [but not obliquely along the rostrum as in
Odiomaris
(
Fig. 7A
), see A. Milne-Edwards 1873: pl. 18, fig. 6a], this does not correspond to the resting position. In the seven specimens of
A. lacustris
examined, the antennule and antenna are very closely inserted and remain parallel, both being stretched forward; the unfolded flagellum is visible dorsally in all individuals. In any event, the disposition of the antennule and antenna differs from that
Odiomaris
(
Fig. 7A
:
O. pilosus
) (
Ng & Richer de Forges 1996
: fig. 6c–d:
O. pilosus
).
A picture of the cephalic region in ventral view of
Amarinus angelicus
(
Holthuis 1968: 114
, fig. 2b) shows an antennule “entirely hidden below the rostrum”, obliquely folded, which does not seem to correspond to the condition of
A. lacustris
. This character deserves to be reviewed for all species of
Amarinus
, and the allocation of
Amarinus
(including the
type
species and other included species) to the
Odiomarinae
needs further investigation. In the new species described here,
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
(
Fig. 1B
), the antennule and antenna are separated at least at their insertion site, and only the antennal flagellum is visible dorsally; thus it shares an arrangement substantially similar to that of
Odiomaris
.
It was the study of spermatozoa carried out first in the two species of
Odiomaris
,
O. pilosus
and
O. estuarius
, by
Richer de Forges
et al.
(1997)
and later in
Elamena vesca
by
Jamieson & Tudge (2000)
that showed the very particular nature of the hymenosomatid sperm within the
Brachyura
. Indeed, they are distinguished by at least nine major characteristics from those of all the other
Brachyura
taxa studied, particularly the groups with which they have been associated, the Majoidea Samouelle, 1819 and the Thoracotremata Guinot, 1977. The ‘hymenosomatid-type of spermatozoon’ is unique within
Brachyura
(
Tudge
et al.
2014
). The highly developed projection of the acrosome from the nucleus in hymenosomatid spermatozoon recalls the totally emergent acrosome of Podotremata Guinot, 1977 and may represent the plesiomorphic condition in the Eubrachyura Saint Laurent, 1980 (
Guinot 2011a
,
2011b
).
Remarks on
Odiomaris
aff.
pilosus
from the Iouanga River and two other streams
A lot of specimens obtained belatedly in the course of our research poses a problem: collected in the Iouanga River on
17 November 2016
(see
Fig. 10
) (MNHN-IU-
2018-2999
) and previously identified to
Odiomaris pilosus
, they split into two species: four males are certainly
O. pilosus
, but about twenty individuals of various sizes (a few males and a larger number of females) do not correspond either to this species or to
Richerius marqueti
gen. et sp. nov.
; nor is it identifiable with
Odiomaris estuarius
. The same unidentified species was found in another stream of the
North Province
and is believed to inhabit another stream in the
South Province
(
Fig. 10
) (manuscript in progress).
Material examined
NEW CALEDONIA
–
North Province
•
8 ♂♂
,
7 ovigerous
♀♀
,
13 subadults
and inmatures;
Kaala-Gomen township
,
Tegon locality
,
Iouanga River
,
st. HYNC 720
;
20º41.032ʹ S
,
164º23.676ʹ E
;
4 m
a.s.l.
;
17 Nov. 2016
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Valentin de Mazancourt
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2018-2999
•
1 ♂
;
Canala township
,
stream tributary of the Negropo River, st. HYNC 790
;
21º30.765ʹ S
,
165º56.438ʹ E
;
4 m
a.s.l.
;
9 Nov. 2017
; “Our Planet Reviewed”, Hydrobio exped.;
Valentin de Mazancourt
and
Nicolas Charpin
leg.;
MNHN-IU-2018-3001
.