A revision of Eumedonus H. Milne Edwards, 1834 and Gonatonotus White, 1847 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Eumedonidae), two genera of crabs symbiotic with sea urchins
Author
Ng, Diana G. B. Chia Peter K. L.
text
Journal of Natural History
2000
34
15
56
journal article
1464-5262
Eumedonus brevirhynchus
n. sp.
(®gures 5±7)
Material examined
.
HOLOTYPE
: male (
7.8Ö
7.5 mm
) (
MNHN
),
Large
Southern Reef
(Grand Re Âcif Sud),
Station
373, 22ss28¾S, 167ss11 ¾E,
52±57 m
, coll.
B.
Richer de Forges
,
21 January 1989
.
PARATYPES
:
New Caledonia
:
Three
males,
three females
(
ZRC 1997.163
±168), same data as holotype.
One
male (
11.8Ö
12.7 mm
) (
MNHN
)
,
ORSTOM
number
AC1
,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station CP
2, 20ss31.50 ¾S, 161ss06.45 ¾E,
88 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
One
female (
10.3 Ö
10.6 mm
) (
MNHN
)
,
ORSTOM
number
AC2
,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station CP
2, 20ss31.50 ¾S, 161ss06.45¾E,
88 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
One
male (
9.4Ö
10.3 mm
) (
MNHN
)
,
ORSTOM
number
AC3
,
Chester
®eld
Islands
,
Station
CP27, 20ss21.29 ¾S, 160ss58.60 ¾E,
74±75 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Corail
2
Expedition
,
22 July 1988
. Six males,
10 females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC4
±19,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station
CP2, 20ss31.50 ¾S, 161ss06.45¾E,
88 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
Two
males
,
one female
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC20
±22,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station D
11, 20ss31.52 ¾S, 161ss06.60 ¾E,
83 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
One
female (
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC23
,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station
D12, 20ss31.33 ¾S, 161ss06.51 ¾E,
80 m
, coll. B.
Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
One
male
,
two females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC24
±26,
Landsdowne Shoals
,
Fairway
,
Coral Sea
,
Station
D3, 21ss14.00 ¾S, 162ss16.40 ¾E,
120±150 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Chalcal Expedition
, 1984.
One
male (
5.6Ö
6.0 mm)
,
one female
(
9.0Ö
9.2 mm
) (
MNHN
)
,
ORSTOM
number
AC27
±28,
Chester
®eld
Islands
,
Station
CP24, 20ss27.35 ¾S, 161ss04.70¾E,
74±75 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Corail
2
Expedition
,
22 July 1988
. Five males,
one female
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC29
±34,
Chester
®eld
Islands
,
Station
CP29, 20ss31.35 ¾S, 160ss52.72¾E,
79±84 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Corail
2
Expedition
,
22 July 1988
. Four males,
three females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC35
±41,
Chester
®eld
Islands
,
Station
CP23, 20ss30.60 ¾S, 161ss03.55 ¾E,
80±83 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
Corail
2
Expedition
,
22 July 1988
.
One
female (
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC42
,
Norfolk
,
Station DW
81, 22ss38.2 ¾S, 167ss34.8 ¾E,
110 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
SMIB 5
Expedition
,
9 September 1989
.
One
juvenile male (
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC43
,
Station
0149, 19ss07.6¾S, 163ss22.7 ¾E, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
, MUSORSTOM 4
Expedition
,
14 September 1989
.
One
juvenile female (
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC44
, Large
Southern Reef
(
Grand Re Âcif Sud
), 22ss40¾S, 167ss11 ¾E, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
,
21 January 1989
.
FIG. 5.
Eumedonus brevirhynchus
n. sp.
Paratype male, 11.8Ö12.7 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC1: A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.
FIG. 6.
Eumedonus brevirhynchus
n. sp.
Paratype male, 11.8Ö12.7 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC1: A, dorsal view of carapace; B, postero-dorsal view of left cheliped; C, sternum; D, face of carapace; E, fourth right ambulatory leg; F, left third maxilliped; G, left G1; H, distal tip of left G1; I, left G2; J, abdomen; K, third right ambulatory leg. Scales for A±G, I±K= 1.0 mm; for H= 0.1 mm.
FIG. 7.
Eumedonus brevirhynchus
n. sp.
A±C, paratype male, 5.6Ö6.0 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC27±28: A, dorsal view of carapace; B, left G1; C, outer lateral view of right palm (schematic). D±E, male, 3.3Ö3.4 mm (MNHN) (schematic): D, dorsal view of carapace; E, fourth right ambulatory leg. F±G, paratype female, 10.3Ö10.6 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC2: F, outer lateral view of right palm (schematic); G, postero-dorsal view of right cheliped. H±I, paratype female, 9.0Ö9.2 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC27±28: H, postero-dorsal view of right cheliped; I, outer lateral view of right palm (schematic). J, paratype male, 11.8Ö12.7 mm (MNHN), ORSTOM number AC1, outer lateral view of left palm (schematic). Scale= 1.0 mm.
Others
.
Vanuatu
:
Two
males,
two females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC92
±95,
Station CP
1133, 15ss38.83 ¾S, 167ss03.06 ¾E,
174±210 m
, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
, MUSORSTOM 8, N/O`
Alis’
,
11 October 1994
.
Two
males,
two females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC96
±99,
Station CP
1132, 15ss38.43 ¾S, 167ss02.80 ¾E, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
, MUSORSTOM 8, N/O`
Alis’
,
11 October 1994
.
Four
males,
one juvenile
,
seven females
(
MNHN
),
ORSTOM
number
AC100
±111,
Station CP
1131, 15ss38.41 ¾S, 167ss03.52¾E, coll.
B. Richer de Forges
MUSORSTOM 8, N/O`
Alis’
,
11 October 1994
.
Philippines
:
One
male (
WAM 362
±73),
Zal Island
, southwest
Pearl Bank
,
Sulu
Archipelago
, coll. B.
R
.
Wilson
,
R
.
V
.`
Pele’
,
22 February 1964
.
Etymology
. The name is derived from the Latin for`short nose’, alluding to the relatively short rostrum of the species. Used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis
. Carapace pentagonal, rostrum short, length 0.5±0.7 times width (mean 0.6), tip of rostrum not deēxed; inner supraorbital teeth absent; regions well de®ned; surfaces of carapace, chelipeds and ambulatory legs covered with numerous granules; distal part of rostrum usually hairless. Antero- and posterolateral margins clearly demarcated by distinct angle or sharp tooth; anterolateral margin entire, without teeth or lobes, distinctly shorter than posterolateral margin. Lateral carapace teeth very stout, tip usually directed laterally; base of tooth stout and thick; posterior part of carapace tooth bending gently towards metabranchial region. Antennules folding obliquely,
ca
45ss from horizontal; antennular fossae oblique. Antero-external angle of merus of maxilliped 3 distinctly auriculiform. Median part of male thoracic sternite 4 slightly depressed. Male abdominal segment 7 not markedly depressed into the abdominal groove. Chelipeds granulose; dorsal margin of palm usually with distinct lamelliform crests in females; carpus with distinct spine on distal inner angle; inner surface of basis-ischium, median, inner and outer proximal part of merus with a strong tooth, structure sometimes appearing lamelliform; chela short, stout, palm length two times length of ®ngers, palm height
ca
two to three times height of ®ngers; ®ngers sometimes carinate, pollex not bent downwards. Anterior margins of ambulatory merus and carpus distinctly cristate; posterior margins of merus usually with two distinct parallel crests; dactylus of leg 1 not much longer than those on other legs. G1 long, slender, distal part lined with short spines, tip bent approximately 45ss.
Remarks
.
Eumedonus brevirhynchus
di ers markedly from all congeners in having proportionately the shortest rostrum in the genus. In fact, the short rostrum in
E. brevirhynchus
is reminiscent of that of
Gonatonotus pentagonus
. The excellent series of specimens from
New Caledonia
and Chester®eld Islands demonstrates that the shape and length of the rostrum is constant. The form of the tip of the rostrum also di erentiates
E. brevirhynchus
from its nearest congener,
E. niger
, in that the cleft is distinctly deeper. In
E. niger
, the lateral carapace tooth is very stout, curving backwards and downwards into the metabranchial region, but in
E. brevirhynchus
, the lateral carapace teeth are less stout and laterally directed. Adult
E. brevirhynchus
also di er from
E. vicinus
and
E. niger
in usually not having long setae at the tip of the rostrum. In smaller specimens of
E. brevirhynchus
, however, the distal dorsal part of the rostrum is sometimes densely covered with setae. In addition, male abdominal segment 7 of
E. brevirhynchus
is not as deeply depressed into the abdominal groove as compared to that of
E. niger
.
In smaller specimens of
E. brevirhynchus
, the rostrum appears to be even shorter (®gure 7D) and the ambulatory legs are less cristate (®gure 7E). The G1 varies somewhat, with the tip bent at angles of 45ss or 90ss (®gures 6G, 7B). A specimen collected from the
Philippines
®ts into the current concept of
E. brevirhynchus
and is thus referred there.
Distribution
. Known only from
New Caledonia
,
Vanuatu
, Chester®eld Islands and probably the
Philippines
.