Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978

Ferreira, Luciane Augusto De Azevedo & Melo, Gustavo Augusto Schmidt De, 2016, Porcelain crabs from Brazil (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Porcellanidae), Zootaxa 4092 (2), pp. 175-194 : 188

Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978

( Fig. 2 H)

Petrolisthes sp I Werding, 1977: 208, fig. 26.

Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978: 214 (type-locality: Colombia, Rosario Island, Isla Grande).

Material examined. Brazil: Paraíba—Tambaú, Recife Quebra-Quilha, 4 males, 8 females (MZUSP-12587). Bahia—“Calypso”, st. 1822, Abrolhos, 24 m, 1 ovigerous female (MZUSP-10707); st. 1823, 24 m, 1 male (MZUSP-10713).

Recognition characters. Carapace as long as broad, covered with strong, transverse piliferous rugae interrupted at grooves separating regions; lateral margins slightly upturned; strong epibranquial spine followed posteriorly by a smaller second epibranchial spine. Front with serrate margin. Outer orbital angle produced into acute spine; small supraorbital spine. Chelipeds rugose; merus with triangular and serrate, spine-tipped lobe distally on flexor margin, 3 distal spines arranged medially on ventro-extensor margin; carpus with 4 serrate teeth on flexor margin, proximal tooth spine-tipped, extensor margin with row of spines; propodus serrate, fringed with plumose setae on extensor margin; fingers serrate, with no pubescence. Walking legs slightly rugose, with long setae; merus with row of spines on flexor margin, propodus with 4 or 5 spines on flexor margin, dactylus with 4 spines on flexor margin. Gonopods present in males. Telson composed of 7 plates.

Habitat. Shallow waters to 24 m depth, on coral reefs, rocks and calcareous algae.

Geographic distribution. Western Atlantic—Belize, Carrie Bow Cay; Panama, Limón Bay and Bocas del Toro; Colombia, Rosario and Santa Marta Islands; and Brazil (Ceará and from Paraíba to Bahia).

Remarks. Werding (1977) recognized the presence of different species similar to P. galathinus (Bosc, 1802) in the western Atlantic, and separated one specimen found in Santa Marta, Colombia. The single specimen was briefly described and illustrated as Petrolisthes sp I by Werding (1977). The epithet rosariensis was associated with the description and illustration of Petrolisthes sp I, from 1977, in his subsequent work (Werding 1978), but there was no description and illustrations. However, the initial description and illustration of Petrolisthes sp I by Werding (1977) was enough to recognize the species.

Petrolisthes rosariensis is very similar to P. galathinus , but different from the latter mainly by the presence of two epibranchial spines (one epibranchial spine in P. galathinus ) on lateral margins of the carapace; shape of the extensor margin of cheliped propodus (more convex on P. galathinus ); and the lack of pubescence in the gape of the cheliped fingers (Werding 1982).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Preserved specimens, dorsal view. A, Pachycheles monilifer (Dana, 1852), ovigerous female (MZUSP- 10596); B, Pachycheles riisei (Stimpson, 1859), ovigerous female (DOUFPE- 7485); C, Pachycheles rugimanus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, male (USNM- 188445); D, Petrolisthes amoenus (Guérin-Menéville, 1855), ovigerous female (MZUSP- 16713); E, Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850), male (MZUSP- 20173); F, Petrolisthes galathinus (Bosc, 1802), ovigerous female (MZUSP- 11303); G, Petrolisthes marginatus Stimpson, 1858, ovigerous female (MNRJ- 3635); H, Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978, male (MZUSP- 10713). Scales: A, C – H (5 mm); B (1 mm).