Cyrtomaia griffini Richer

Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2008, New records of deep­sea spider crabs of the genus Cyrtomaia Miers, 1886, from the Pacific Ocean, with description of a new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Majidae), Zootaxa 1861, pp. 17-28 : 19

Cyrtomaia griffini Richer de Forges & Guinot, 1990

Cyrtomaia griffini Richer de Forges & Guinot, 1990: 523, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4. – Ng et al. 2008: 111. Cyrtomaia suhmii — Griffin & Brown 1976: 252, fig. 6. – Griffin & Tranter 1986: 30, fig. 91g. Cyrtomaia suhmiii — Davie & Short 1989: 27.

Material examined. Solomon Islands: SALOMON 1, stn. 1751, 9°10.41’S – 159°52.98’E, 749–799 m, 25 September 2001: 1 male (28.9 x 30.5 mm), 1 male (broken, 34.3 x 38.1 mm), 2 juveniles (MNHN­B30729). – Stn. CP 1793, 9°13.38’S – 160°07.84’E, 505–510 m, 30 September 2001: 1 ovigerous female (65.8 x 73.1 mm) (MNHN­B30721). – Stn. CP 1806, 9°37.94’S – 160°49.68’E, 621–708 m, 0 2 October 2001: 1 male (36.4 x 39.0 mm) (MNHN­B30726). – Stn. CP 1808, 9°45.53’S – 160°52.53’E, 611–636 m, 0 2. October 2001: 1 male (28.0 x 28.9 mm), 2 females (29.0 x 30.9 mm, 39.5 x 51.1 mm) (broken) ( ZRC 2008.0746). – Stn. DW 1827, 1 male (29.1 x 30.4 mm) ( ZRC 2008.0750). – Stn. CP 1858, 9°37.03’S – 160°41.66’E, 435–461 m, 0 7 October 2001: 2 males (54.8 x 58.3 mm, 42.7 x 50.0 mm, broken) (MNHN­B30727 & B30728). – Stn. CP 1859, 9°32.56’S – 160°37.32’E, 283–305 m, 7 October 2001: 2 ovigerous females (60.1 x 61.7 mm, 63.8 x 69.0 mm) (MNHN­B30723). – SALOMONBOA, stn. CP 2777, 9°11.68’S – 160°54.63’E, 706–722 m, 12 September 2007: 2 males (39.6 x 42.2 mm, 36.2 x 38.3 mm), 4 females (46.5 x 51.9 mm, 42.3 x 46.8 mm, 42.0 x 47.8 mm, 43.5 x 46.4 mm), 1 juvenile male (22.4 x 22.9 mm) (MNHN­B31260). – Stn. CP 2778, 9°07.12’S – 159°53.97’E, 825–909 m, 12 September 2007: 2 males (22.8 x 23.9 mm, 29.3 x 30.0 mm), 2 females (27.0 x 28.7 mm, 19.9 x 20.7 mm), 7 juveniles (17.9 x 18.8 mm, 18.9 x 18.7 mm, 13.6 x 13.1 mm, 12.8 x 13.2 mm, 11.8 x 11.7 mm, 10.1 x 11.8 mm, 7.2 x 7.2 mm) (MNHN­31261). – Stn. CP 2787, 8°30.92’S – 160°38.94’E, 570–885 m, 14 September 2007: 2 males (37.1 x 38.2 mm, 23.2 x 23.8 mm) (MNHN­B31262).

Remarks. This large­size species belongs to a group of Cyrtomaia species having a smooth carapace and with the protogastric spines being the longest spines on the carapace. The first known species of this group, C. suhmii Miers, 1886 , was described from a crushed juvenile from the southern Philippines (Guinot & Richer de Forges 1982b: 22, fig. 10). A very large specimen from Japan was later described under the name C. curviceros Bouvier, 1915 . In the revision of the group, Guinot & Richer de Forges (1982) drew attention to the possibility of C. suhmii being only the juvenile of C. curviceros and that the two species were subjective synonyms. The synonymy was confirmed later by the examination of more specimens from Japan and the Philippines (Guinot & Richer de Forges 1986). Cyrtomaia maccullochi Rathbun, 1918 , was described from the southern Australia while C. gaillardi Guinot & Richer de Forges, 1982, was described from Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Guinot & Richer de Forges (1982) noted that the presence or absence of a supraocular spine was important in separating the various species of Cyrtomaia . There is no supraocular spine in specimens of C. suhmii (= C. curviceros ) but some specimens recorded by Griffin & Brown (1976) from the east coast of Australia under this name actually possessed a long and sharp supraocular spine. Richer de Forges & Guinot (1990) examined extensive material from Queensland and recognized this population as a new species, C. griffini . They also commented that the real C. suhmii was known from Japan to the north of Australia, including the Philippines and Indonesian islands. Cyrtomaia griffini , however, is known only from the east coast of Australia (New South Wales to north Queensland). The present material extends the range of C. griffini to the southern Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands specimens agree well with the original description of C. griffini . The supraocular spine is always present in all sizes of both sexes, even if the size of the spine varies.