Nymphon aemulum Stock, 1975

Sabroux, Romain, Hassanin, Alexandre & Corbari, Laure, 2022, Sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) collected during the Madibenthos Expedition from Martinique shallow waters, European Journal of Taxonomy 851 (1), pp. 1-141 : 55-56

Nymphon aemulum Stock, 1975

Nymphon aemulum Stock, 1975a: 998–1001 , figs 16–17.

Nymphon aemulum – Stock 1986: tab. 1. — Child 1988b: 68; 1992b: 70, fig. 32; 2009: 819. — Müller & Krapp 2009: 12–13 , 80 (key), 80–83, 137 (list), tab. 1, figs 42–43. — Takahashi et al. 2012: 1356 (key). — Sabroux et al. 2019b: 1532, tab. 1, figs 3, 5.

Nymphon aemulon – Varela 2012: 3–4, fig. 2b.

nec NYmphon floridanum – Hedgpeth 1948: 196 (pro parte). — Stock 1955: 215 (pro parte).

Type material

Holotype: NL ZMA.PYC.P.1267 (not examined). Type locality: Dickinson Bay , Antigua.

Material examined

MARTINIQUE • 2 ♀♀; Le François ; 14°37ʹ N, 60°49.5ʹ W; depth 1 m; 17 Sep. 2016; st. AB134; MNHN-IU-2016-1234 • 1 ♀ gr., 1 ind. (sex indet.); same collection data as for preceding; MNHN- IU-2016-1234 • 1 ♀ gr.; Pointe du Vauclin ; 14°33.6ʹ N, 60°49.7ʹ W; depth 2 m; 12 Sep. 2016; st. AD230; MNHN-IU-2016-845 • 1 ♀; Îlet Chevalier ; 14°25.9ʹ N, 60°49.5ʹ W; depth 0–2 m; 19 Sep. 2016; st. AM023; MNHN-IU-2016-1034 • 1 ♀; Pointe Michel ; 14°26.4ʹ N, 60°49.3ʹ W; depth 2 m; 12 Sep. 2016; st. AB120; MNHN-IU-2016-1038 • 1 ♂; E of Le Vauclin ; 14°34.7ʹ N, 60°45.9ʹ W; depth 20 m; 16 Sep. 2016; st. AS 078; MNHN-IU-2016-1186/ MK411074 • 1 ♀; Baie du Robert ; 14°42ʹ N, 60°53.8ʹ W; depth 1–3 m; 24 Sep. 2016; st. AR453; MNHN-IU-2016-1213/ MK411082 • 1 ♀; Le Robert ; 14°41.1ʹ N, 60°51.4ʹ W; depth 10 m; 19 Sep. 2016; st. AB195; MNHN-IU-2016-1318 • 1 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN-IU-2016-1320 • 1 juv.; Pointe de la Baleine ; 14°31.1ʹ N, 61°05.9ʹ W; depth 24 m; 30 Sep. 2016; st. AR413; MNHN-IU-2016-1221 .

Remarks

Like all Nymphon but one found in Madibenthos material (i.e., Nymphon timons sp. nov.), this species is part of the aequidigitatum group as defined by Child (1988b) and for which Takahashi et al. (2012) provided a complete identification key. Species of this group share the following five characters: (i) a long fifth palp article relative to the other four; (ii) an oviger claw without denticulation, and most often (iii) bifurcate chela teeth, (iv) propodus main claw as long as or shorter than auxiliaries, and (v) one or all propodal claws bearing endal rugosities or setules.

This is the first record of this species for Martinique. It was only collected on the Atlantic coast, where it was found to be rather common.

Distribution

Tropical West Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Surinam).

Depth range

0.5– 37 m.