Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific
Author
Ng, Peter K. L.
Author
Forges, Bertrand Richer De
text
Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
2015
2015-05-29
63
110
225
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5384590
2345-7600
5384590
40BCDD62-D35E-46D1-95A3-2CC0DF219DEE
Holthuija aussie
n. sp.
(
Figs. 25B–D
,
26D
,
37I
,
40H
,
42E
,
46E
,
54H
,
56F
)
Maja suluensis
–
Poore et al., 2008: 62
. (not
Maja suluensis
Rathbun, 1916
). (not
Maja suluensis
Rathbun, 1916
).
Material examined.
Holotype
: ovigerous female (42.1 ×
34.4 mm
) (
NMV
J63752
),
Arafura Sea
,
10°58.03’S
136°47.82’E
,
107–108 m
, coll.
B. A. Glasby
,
CSIRO
RV
Southern Surveyor
,
17 October 2012
.
Others
:
1 juvenile
female (14.3 ×
11.9 mm
[right branchial region with bopyrid parasite) (
NMV
J61058
),
Imperieuse L
23 Transect, northwestern
Australia
,
18°27.62’S
120°08.68’E
–
18°27.72’S
120°08.68’E
,
80–81 m
, coll.
M. Gomon
,
CSIRO
RV
Southern Surveyor
,
19 June 2007
. —
1 juvenile
female (11.9 ×
9.1 mm
) (
NMV
J63958
), off
Red Bluff
,
Western Australia
,
24°02.62’S
113°01.62’E
–
24°02.83’S
113°01.73’E
,
100 m
, coll.
G. Poore
,
CSIRO
RV
Southern Surveyor
,
8 December 2005
.
Diagnosis.
Carapace covered with small granules (
Fig. 25B–D
). Pseudorostral spines long, diverging (
Fig. 37I
). Antorbital spine long, sharp, strongly curved upwards and anteriorly; intercalated spine triangular, with distinct gaps on each side; postorbital spine long, strong; hepatic spine short; median row with 5 long spines: 2 gastric, 3 cardiac (2 may be small in young specimens) (
Figs. 25B–D
,
37I
). Lateral margin with 3 long spines increasing towards posterior; 1 very long branchial spine; 2 long upwardly directed spines on posterior carapace margin (
Fig. 25B–D
). Basal antennal article with 2 big blunt distal teeth; on inner margin 2 lobate teeth; external margin serrulated (
Fig. 40H
). Epistome with 2 tubercles on anterior margin (
Fig. 40H
). G1 not known.
Etymology.
The species is named after a common nickname for Australians – “Aussie”. The name is used as a noun in apposition.
Remarks.
Holthuija aussie
n. sp.
is the only species of the
Maja
group to possess three cardiac spines. The
holotype
of the species comes from the northwestern Australian coast, in the Arafura Sea, very close to Indonesian waters.
The identities of
two juvenile
specimens (
J61058
and
J53958
) collected at
18°S
and
24°S
, is uncertain as they differ from the
type
in several aspects. The following differences are observed: the antorbital spine is not as curved in the juveniles as found in the adults; there are wide gaps on each side of the intercalated spine in the juveniles versus narrow gaps in the adults; all the lateral spines are shorter in the juvenile specimens; only one cardiac spine versus
3 in
the adult; the distal spines on the basal antennal article are shorter and not so sharp; the cornea shape is different, being more elongate in the juveniles. They could belong to a new species but as neither specimens are adult, it was decided that this was best left to a later date when better material becomes available. They are here provisionally referred to
Holthuija aussie
for convenience
.