Euprognatha rastellifera Stimpson, 1860

Santana, William & Tavares, Marcos, 2008, A new species of EUPROGNATHA Stimpson, 1871 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Inachoididae) from off coast of northeastern Brazil, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 48 (27), pp. 317-328 : 326-327

Euprognatha rastellifera Stimpson, 1860

In E. rastellifera the ornamentation of the carapace is strongly variable, giving rise to the recognition of several new species or subspecies (figs. 4A-D and 6C-D): E. acuta A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (figs. 4A and 6D) (type-localities: Saint Kitts, Saint Vincent, and Barbados); E. inermis A. Milne-Edwards, 1878 (type-locality: Guadeloupe); E. rastellifera marthae Rathbun, 1925 (figs. 4B and 6C) (type-locality: Southwest off Marthas Vineyard); E. rastellifera rastellifera Stimpson, 1871 (fig. 4D) (type-locality: Florida Keys); and E. rastellifera spinosa Rathbun, 1894 (fig. 4C) (type-locality: off Havana). Rathbun (1925: 97) noticed that “None of these forms is entirely restricted to its own range, they overlap one another, and two forms may occur in the same haul”. Indeed, when long series of individuals from different areas are examined, there is no longer clear cut distinction between them. Therefore we recognize only one species, E. rastellifera Stimpson, 1871 (see also Nizinski, 2003: 129; Mclaughlin et al., 2005: 311). E. rastellifera is widely distributed in the Western Atlantic, ranging from off Georges Bank to Uruguay, including Antilles ( Williams, 1984: 298; Melo, 1996: 204 as E. acuta ; Nizinski, 2003: 129; Campos et al., 2005: 210). The type of E. rastellifera Stimpson, 1871 is not extant ( Rathbun, 1925: 96).

Lectotypes designations

Euprognatha acuta A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 : The specimens upon which A. Milne-Edwards (1880) based the description of E. acuta were obtained by the steamer “Blake” ( Peirce & Patterson, 1879) in Saint Kitts, Grenadines, Saint Vincent, and Barbados. A. Milne-Edwards (1880: 7) did not mention how many individuals were available to him. The “Blake” collections were kept in the MCZ, where three males and one female syntypes of E. acuta are well preserved. They are as follows: one male from Saint Kitts, two males from Saint Vincent, and one female from Barbados (for details see above under comparative material). There is no material of E. acuta from the Grenadines in the MCZ. When available A. Milne-Edwards used to retain a few specimens in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, in Paris. It is then well possible that the material from the Grenadines be housed there. In order to ensure that the name Euprognatha acuta A. Milne Edwards, 1880 , be properly and consistently applied, the male MCZ 2580, cl 6.6, cw 5.3 mm, from Saint Vincent, “Blake”, station 269, 13°07’55”N - 61°05’36”W, A. Agassiz coll., 3.iii. 1879, 227 m, is selected herein as the lectotype. The second male from Saint Vincent, the male from Saint Kitts ( MCZ 2728), and the female from Barbados ( MCZ 2600) are the paralectotypes.

Euprognatha granulata Faxon, 1893 : Faxon (1893: 149) based the description of E. granulata upon two ovigerous females from Cocos Island, Costa Rica (for details see above under comparative material). Because no holotype was designated and in order to ensure that the name Euprognatha granulata Faxon, 1893 , be properly and consistently applied, the female syntype MCZ 4477, cl 7.7, cw 6.0 mm, is selected herein as the lectotype. The second female is the paralectotype.