Neoanchisquilla semblatae Moosa, 1991

Ahyong, Shane T., 1998, Review of Neoanchisquilla Moosa, 1991 and Neclorida Manning, 1995 (Crustacea: Stomatopoda: Squilloidea), with descriptions of two new species of Neoanchisquilla from the Indian Ocean, Records of the Australian Museum 50 (2), pp. 217-229 : 222-223

Neoanchisquilla semblatae Moosa, 1991

Fig. 3

Neoanchisquilla semblatae Moosa, 1991: 208-210 , fig. 15.­ Richer de Forges & Moosa, 1992: 152.- Manning, 1995: 25.

Material. HOLOTYPE: MNHN Sto 1626, male ( TL 26 mm), Chesterfield Islands, New Caledonia, 20034.37'S 160051.80'E, 74 m, CORAIL 2 stn DW 30, mud and calcareous sediment with Halimeda , July to August 1988.

Diagnosis. Rostral plate with broadly rounded apex. Raptorial claw dactylus with 8 teeth. TS6-7 lateral processes flattened, margin slightly sinuous. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: SM 6, IM 6, LT 4-6, MG 1-5. Telson dorsal surface with median carina and numerous undivided curved carinae, lacking accessory median carina; ventral surface lacking rows of tubercles either side of postanal carina.

Description of holotype. TL 26 mm. Eye small; stalk moderately inflated; cornea bilobed, extending slightly beyond Al peduncle segment 1; Cl 446. Al peduncle 0.97CL. Al dorsal processes slender, apices blunt, directed anterolaterally. A2 scale length 0.53CL. Rostral plate ovoid; slightly longer than broad; apex broadly rounded. Carapace anterior width 0.51CL; carapace anterolateral spines slender, extending to base of rostral plate. Raptorial claw dactylus with 8 teeth. TS6-7 lateral processes flattened, margin slightly sinuous. TS8 sternal keel rounded. AS 6 with ventrolateral spine anterior to uropodal articulation. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: SM 6, IM 6, LT 4-6, MG 1-5 ( AS 2 unarmed on left side). PLPl endopod in male with slender, curved hook process and broad, flattened tube process; apex of hook process blunt, exceeding apex of distal endite. Telson prelateral lobe length subequal to or slightly longer than margin of lateral tooth; denticles 7, 12-l3, 1. Dorsolateral surface lacking accessory median carina; with 5-6 supplementary longitudinal carinae, several sinuous proximally. Carinae of primary teeth sinuous, irregular. Telson ventral surface with long, smooth postanal carina, lacking carinae or tubercles laterally, extending about 0.8 distance between anal pore and posterior margin. Uropodal protopod inner margin armed with 10-12 slender spines. Terminal spines of uropodal protopod with lobe on outer margin of inner spine rounded, broader than adjacent spine, proximal margin concave. Uropodal exopod proximal segment with 6 graded movable spines on outer margin, distal 2 flattened with acute apices, distalmost slightly exceeding midlength of distal segment. Exopod distal segment with length subequal to proximal segment. Uropodal endopod lacking tubercles ventrally, adjacent to articulation with protopod.

Colour in alcohol. Al and A2 peduncles pale. A2 scale with dark posterior margin and apex. Carapace with dark anteriormargin and four, broad, diffuse, irregulartransverse bands; reflected marginal carinae enclosing black patch withdiffusemargins. Thoracicandabdominalsomiteseach with broad, diffuse submedian patches, with darker distal patch between intermediate and lateral carinae extending onto following somite. Telson with broad, diffuse, dark patch covering intermediate and lateral teeth; with broad, diffuse longitudinal median band extending from anterior margin to apices of SM teeth, excepting a short, unpigmented area distally. Raptorial claw, maxillipeds, pereiopods and pleopods unpigmented. Uropodal protopod inner margin and endopod dark; exopod proximal segment dark on outer distal half and articulation with distal segment; exopod distal segment with diffuse pigmentation on proximal and outer margin.

Measurements. Holotype male: TL 26 mm, CL 5.8 mm, CW 1.3 mm, Al peduncle length 5.6 mm.

Remarks. In N. semblatae the apically rounded hook process of the male PLPl endopod (15[1]) is unusual, because it is produced to a sharp point in N. tuberculata , A. fasciata and other Clorida-like genera such as Cloridina , Neclorida , Lenisquilla and Levisquilla . The condition of the hook-process inN. semblatae is unlikely to be size related because the penes are well developed,

the male PLP1 endopod is fully formed and the sharp apex of the hook process is well developed even in juveniles of A. jasciata and species of other Cloridalike genera. The hook process in N. semblatae is also distinctly longer than in N. tuberculata n.sp., exceeding the distal margin of the distal endite (16[[1]). Male PLP1 characters should readily distinguish N. semblatae from N. tuberculata , but unfortunately the male PLP1 of N. australiensis is unknown.

Richer de Forges & Moosa (1992) noted that the habitats around the Chesterfield Islands, the type locality of N. semblatae , are principally coralline, with fine sediments and carbonatedmud. Collection data inMoosa (1991) show that no other stomatopods were collected from the same station as N. semblatae .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Chesterfield Islands, New Caledonia.