Calliaxina novaebritanniae ( Borradaile, 1900 )

Poore, Gary, 2021, Indo-West Pacific and Australian species of Eucalliacidae with descriptions of four new species (Crustacea: Axiidea), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 80, pp. 1-41 : 10-15

Calliaxina novaebritanniae ( Borradaile, 1900)

Figures 1d, e , 8–10 , 12d, e, j

Callianassa novae-britanniae Borradaile, 1900: 419 , pl. 39 figs 14a–d.

Callianassa (Callichirus) novae-britanniae .— Borradaile, 1903: 547. — Borradaile, 1904: 753. — De Man, 1928a: 48. — De Man, 1928b: 29, 92, 93, 114 (part).

Calliax novaebritanniae .— de Saint Laurent and Manning, 1982: 211–224, figs 1c, 2b, 6c. — Sakai, 2005: 202.

Paraglypturus novaebritanniae .— Sakai, 1999: 123, fig. 32d–f.

Calliaxina novaebritanniae .— Ngoc-Ho, 2003: 493.— Sakai, 2011: 500–501.— Dworschak, 2018: 17–19, fig. 1b, c (synonymy, notes).— Poore et al., 2019: 126, 127, 146.— Robles et al., 2020.

Calliaxina xishaensis Liu and Liang, 2016: 83–87 , figs 1, 2. Syn. nov.

not Callianassa (Callichirus) novaebritanniae .— Sakai, 1966: 161– 171 (record from Japan = C. sakaii [de Saint Laurent, 1979]).

not Callianassa (Callichirus) novaebritanniae var.—De Man, 1928b: fig. 20 (= C. punica [de Saint Laurent and Manning, 1982] fide de Saint Laurent and Manning [1982]).

Material examined. Papua New Guinea. Madang Province, lagoon, 05° 10.2' S, 145° 50.4' E, 1–3 m ( PAPUA NIUGINI stn PR243), MNHN- IU-2013-7062* (ovigerous female, cl. 8.8 mm) . New Ireland Province, Nago Island , 02° 36.3' S, 150° 46.2' E, 3–12 m (KAVIENG 2014 stn KR06), MNHN-IU-2014-8837* (male, 4.0 mm);MNHN-IU-2013-7941* (female, c. 4.0 mm) .

French Polynesia, Moorea Island , NW motus, in channel between islands and beach, 17.488393° S, 149.91342° W (stn BIZ-148), UF 23954 (female, 5.1 mm)

Australia, Qld , Great Barrier Reef. Myrmidon Reef, 18.27° S, 147.38° E, October 1985: lagoon with “ Callianassa ” mounds, 8 m, (M. Riddle stn M/10/1), NMV J71677 (female, 11.6 mm); NMV J71678 (male, 8.7 mm); NMV J71669 (2 males, 8.4 mm; 6 ovigerous females, 6.9–10.3 mm; 1 female, 9.4 mm). Myrmidon Reef, 18.27° S, 147.38° E, October 1985: shallow lagoon, 4 m, (M. Riddle stn M/10/2), NMV J71670 (2 males, 11.1 mm; 3 ovigerous females, 10.4 mm); outer reef flat, 2 m, (M. Riddle stn M/10/3), NMV J71673 (3 males). Rib Reef, 18.48° S, 146.86° E, October 1985: reef flat, 4 m, (M. Riddle stn R/10 /2), NMV J71671 (4 males; 16 females). reef flat, 8 m, (M. Riddle stn R/10 /1), NMV J71675 (6 males, smallest 5.5 mm; 4 females). Lizard Island , 50 m W of Loomis beach, 14.6816° S, 145.4515° E, (stn AUST-ST-036), UF 16947 (ovigerous female, 9.0 mm). Lord Howe Island, Old Settlement Beach, 31.5° S, 159.1° E (stn LHI 2017 059), AM P.100430 (2 males, 11.9 mm, 14.6 mm) .

Diagnosis. Sternite 7 with transverse groove visible only laterally, anteromedial lobe rounded. Antennule peduncle reaching to midpoint of antenna peduncle article 5. Maxilliped 3 exopod reaching third to half-way along ischium (juveniles only) or reaching to mid-merus. Major cheliped merus, lower margin with 2 or 3 proximal truncate teeth; propodus distomesial margin with setae aligned in 2 similar groups of c. 9 setae each. Male pleopod 1 article 2 twice as long as wide; appendix interna prominent.

Description of female. Carapace scattered with small shallow depressions; gastric–abdominal regions together 4.6 times as long as wide; branchiostegite calcified over dorsal half, separate from wide ventral uncalcified anterior region and narrower triangular uncalcified posterior section, the two separated from each other by squarish calcified plate; posteroventral area without small calcified plates; cervical groove at 0.57 carapace length, scarcely obvious on branchiostegite; cardiac sulcus at 0.73 carapace length, not meeting mid-dorsally, extending obliquely anteroventrally to lower limit of calcified branchiostegite.

Thoracic sternite 7 1.35 times as long as wide, with well-defined median sulcus over posterior third, smooth over medial half, lateral ridge anterior to coxal articulation ending in pit at quarter of width, with 3 posterolateral clusters of long setae.

Rostrum broadly triangular, length about 0.25 width of eyestalks. Anterolateral carapace lobe half as long as rostrum, with rounded apex, dorsal anterolateral margin oblique in dorsal view as far back as anterodorsal angle of branchiostegite, with c. 10 submarginal dorsal setae. Pleonites 1–6 lengths relative to cl: 0.42: 0.47: 0.30: 0.30: 0.32: 0.47; pleonite 1 with strong dorsal transverse groove, with pair of oval sternal plates supporting pleopods, each with lateral row of c. 20 setae; pleonites 3–5 with lateral tufts of setae; pleonite 6 with 8 lateral rows of setae.

Eyestalk 1.85 times as long as wide at base, tapering slightly to cornea, then more rapidly to subacute apices, sometimes with minute mesiodorsal tubercle; cornea round, slightly domed, 0.6 width of maximum eyestalk width. Antennular peduncle 2.5 times as long as width of both eyestalks; article 2 3 times as long as wide; article 3 0.6 length of article 2; articles 2 and 3 with ventrolateral row of long setae, continued onto flagellum. Antennal peduncle 3.2 times as long as width of both eyestalks, overreaching antennule peduncle by all of article 5; scaphocerite ovoid, longer than wide; article 4 c. 7 times as long as wide; article 5 half as long as article 4. Maxilliped 3 exopod reaching to midpoint of merus; ischium with convex mesial margin, expanding from narrow proximomesial corner; ischium–merus 1.8 times as long as greatest width; crista dentata of c. 25 even denticles on basis and ischium; carpus– dactylus together as long as ischium–merus.

Chelipeds subequal, major 1.1 length of minor. Major cheliped ischium c. 2.2 times as long as distal width, lower margin with truncate denticles becoming more distinct distally; merus 2.6 times as long as broad, lower margin with 4–5 truncate proximal denticles, diminishing distally; carpus 1.5 times as wide as upper length, margins carinate; propodus greatest width in middle of palm, as wide as upper palm length, distomesial margin of palm with 2 submarginal groups each of c. 8 setae plus nearby granules, distolateral margin of palm with submarginal group of c. 10 setae between fingers; fixed finger half as long as upper margin of palm, cutting edge with microdenticles over proximal half, blunt triangular tooth third way along; dactylus as long as fixed finger, twice as long as wide at base, cutting edge concave over proximal half; submarginal tufts of long setae on upper and lower mesial margins of carpus and propodus, opposing mesial margins of fingers.

Minor cheliped ischium c. 2.3 times as long as distal width, lower margin with truncate denticles becoming more distinct distally; merus 1.7 times as long as broad, lower margin with 4–5 truncate proximal denticles, diminishing distally; carpus 1.5 times as wide as upper length, margins carinate; propodus palm more evenly wide than major, 1.1 times as wide as upper palm length, distomesial margin of palm with 2 submarginal groups of c. 10 and c. 12 setae, distolateral margin of palm with submarginal group of c. 10 setae, plus 2 smaller groups further from margin between fingers; fixed finger 0.4 times as long as upper margin of palm, mesial cutting edge with microdenticles, blunt proximal tooth, lateral cutting edge microdenticulate defining edge of lateral concavity at base of fixed finger, filled with granules; dactylus overreaching fixed finger, 3 times as long as wide at base, cutting edge curved; submarginal tufts of long setae on upper and lower mesial margins of carpus and propodus, opposing mesial margins of fingers.

Pereopod 2 merus 2.2 times as long as maximum width; dactylus c. 3 times as long as upper margin of propodus. Pereopod 3 merus twice as long as maximum width; carpus as long as wide; propodus with strongly concave lower margin, twice as long as mid-length; dactylus 2.5 times axial length of propodus. Pereopod 4 merus 2.3 times as long as maximum width; carpus 2.5 times as long as wide; propodus typically setose, with 2 long distal setae overlapping dactylus.

Pleopod 1 article 1 without distal projection beyond article 2; article 2 longer than article 1. Pleopod 2 endopod 2.5 times as long as wide; appendix interna about quarter length of endopod.

Uropodal endopod ovoid, anterior margin more convex than posterior margin, widest about third way along, 1.5 times as long as wide, with subdistal facial group of c. 8 long setae; exopod 2.4 times as wide as long (length measured from peduncle to anterior point of dorsal plate), distal and posterior margins typically setose, with c. 20 blade-like setae near end of posterior margin; dorsal plate extending almost over half of exopod width, posterior margin with spiniform setae. Telson 1.7 times as wide as long, broadest at mid-length, posterolateral corner more sharply rounded than lateral and posterior margins; posterior margin convex, with lateral lines of long setae; dorsal surface with median row of long setae at anterior quarter.

Adult male. As in female except as follows. Major cheliped propodus, distomesial margin of palm with 2 submarginal groups each of c. 8 setae, fixed finger with proximal mesial and lateral granulate ridges; dactylus cutting edge with basal blunt tooth.

Minor cheliped propodus, distomesial margin of palm with 2 submarginal groups of c. 12 and c. 15 setae, distolateral margin of palm with submarginal groups of c. 30 and c. 15 setae; lateral concavity at base of fixed finger, filled with numerous granules.

Pleopod 1 article 1 twice as long as greatest width; article 2 2.3 times as long as wide, appendix interna acute, without hooks, subdistal lobe small, distal curved lobe acute, occupying about third of whole. Pleopod 2 endopod 2.3 times as long as wide; appendix masculina attached at c. 0.4 of length, 3.5 times as long as distal width, distal margin convextruncate reaching 0.9 length of endopod, with c. 20 facial setae near midpoint, c. 15 subdistal setae; appendix interna rod-like, with hooks, about fifth length of appendix interna.

Variation. Branchiostegite always divided by oblique longitudinal edge between calcified dorsal region and variously uncalcified ventral region, always with midventral rectangular plate, sometimes with posteroventral tessellated pattern ( Sakai, 1999: fig. 32e), sometimes more or less calcified, often not calcified. Rostrum more acute in smaller specimens (figs 3a, j). Cornea larger in smaller specimens (fig. 3j). Maxilliped 3 exopod reaching mid-ischium in some small specimens. Minor cheliped propodus fixed finger proximal concavity variously granulate.

Colour. Exoskeleton mostly translucent white, middle of branchiostegites pink (fig. 1d, e).

Distribution. Papua New Guinea, Madang, New Britain (type locality) and New Ireland provinces; Indonesia, Sulawesi, Bali; Australia, N Qld; Philippines, Pulawan; French Polynesia. Lagoon sediments, to 12 m.

Remarks. Calliaxina novaebritanniae is unique in the Indo-West Pacific in having the exopod of maxilliped 3 reaching to the middle of the merus in adults. Small genetic differences were found between the pair from Nago Island (New Britain), one from Madang, one from Palawan, Philippines ( NHMW 25366), and one from Indonesia ( NHMW 25783) ( Robles et al., 2020). Nago Island and Madang, Papua New Guinea, are not far distant, west and east respectively, from the type locality. Morphological differences between them, the female from French Polynesia and the large collection from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, are small. The telson and uropod of adults are the same, all have a sulcus on the carapace. The maxillipedal 3 exopod reaches to mid-merus except in two small specimens where it is shorter than in adults, a phenomenon noted by Liu and Liang (2016) in C. xishaensis . The rostrum is sharper and the eyestalks more rounded in smaller specimens. Article 2 of pleopod 1 of the holotype has two similar distal lobes on its inner margin (one the appendix interna) and an apex strongly curving mesially (de Saint Laurent and Manning, 1982: fig. 6). The appendix interna and second subdistal lobe are less developed in all the Australian males in this collection (fig. 9l). A juvenile male from Papua New Guinea has a simple pleopod 1 with three obsolete distal lobes (fig. 10h), indicating that this limb metamorphoses with maturity. The male pleopod 2 has a broad appendix masculina, with distal and subdistal clusters of long setae, and appendix interna midway on the endopod (fig. 10i).

Calliaxina novaebritanniae co-occurs in one sample from the Great Barrier Reef with individuals of C. bulimba from which it is difficult to distinguish at first glance. However, the exopod of maxilliped 3 reaches to the middle of the merus in most C. novaebritanniae but is vestigial in all C. bulimba . The eyestalks of C. novaebritanniae are narrower than in C. bulimba (almost twice as long as wide vs 0.8 times as long as wide in adults), the antennal peduncles are narrower (antennular peduncle article 2 3.5 times as long as wide vs twice; antennal lpeduncle article 4 6 times as long as wide vs 3 times). The telson of C. novaebritanniae is widest at its midpoint whereas in C. bulimba it tapers from the base, although the taper is less obvious in juveniles. Pereopods of C. novaebritanniae are relatively broader than in C. bulimba (meri of pereopods 2 and 3, 2.5 and 2.0 times as long as wide vs 2.2 and 2.4 times). The rostrum is more acute in larger C. novaebritanniae than in similarly sized C. bulimba but is more acute in small specimens of both species.

Borradaile (1900) based his description on a single male of total length 37 mm from New Britain ( Papua New Guinea). The holotype was illustrated by Borradaile (1900), de Saint Laurent and Manning (1982) and Sakai (1999). Notwithstanding the species’ long and complicated synonymy, the material listed here and that from the Philippines and Indonesia ( Dworschak, 2018) are the first reported since. De Man (1928a) described and illustrated a specimen he identified as a variety of C. novaebritanniae ; this was described as Calliax (now Calliaxina ) punica by de Saint Laurent and Manning (1982), type locality, Salammbo, Gulf of Tunis. De Man (1928b) identified material from the Maldives as C. novaebritanniae ; this was identified by Sakai (1999) as Calliax (now Eucalliaxiopsis ) aequimana ( Baker, 1907) but is almost certainly E. inaequimana ( Dworschak, 2014) .

In as far as can be decided from descriptions, C. novaebritanniae is indistinguishable from C. xishaensis Liu and Liang, 2016 . The latter was described from two females from the South China Sea, not far from Palawan, Philippines. A specimen from this locality ( NHMW 25366) was found to be genetically similar to those from Papua New Guinea (the type locality) and Indonesia, suggesting that the species has a wide distribution. Calliaxina xishaensis is here synonymised with C. novaebritanniae . Calliaxina sakaii is close by in Japan but is morphologically and genetically quite remote (see below and Robles et al., 2020).

Sakai’s (1999) designation of the holotype as a lectotype was unnecessary.

Figures

Figure 1. Live colour photographs: a, Calliaxina bulimba, Papua New Guinea. MNHN-IU-2013-7097; b, c, C. kensleyi, Saudi Arabia, UF 36699; d, e, C. novaebritanniae, Papua New Guinea, MNHN-IU-2013-7062; f, Eucalliaxiopsis dworschaki, French Polynesia, UF 16286; g, E. dworschaki, Papua New Guinea, MNHN-IU-2013-7081; h, E. inaequimana, French Polynesia, UF 29162; i, E. inaequimana, French Polynesia, UF 29208. Photos a, d, e, g: Z. Ďuriš; b, c, f, h, i, A. Anker. Various scales.

Figure 8. Calliaxina novaebritanniae. Australia, NMV J71677 (female, 11.5 mm): a, carapace, pleon, dorsal; b, carapace, lateral; c, d, anterior carapace, eyestalks, antennule, antenna, dorsal and lateral views; e, thoracic sternite 7; f, pleonal sternite 1; g, telson, uropod; h, maxilliped 3; i, maxilliped 3, crista dentata, basis, ischium; j, major cheliped (right), mesial with detail of merus margin, distal propodus; k, major cheliped (right), distal propodus, dactylus, lateral; l, minor cheliped (left), mesial view, with detail of merus margin, distal propodus; m, minor cheliped (left), fixed finger, lateral. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 9. Calliaxina novaebritanniae. Australia, NMV J71677 (female, 11.5 mm): a–c, pereopods 2–4; d, e, pleopods 1, 2. NMV J71678 (male, 8.7 mm): f, anterior carapace, eyestalks; g, telson; h, i, major cheliped (right), propodus, dactylus, mesial and lateral; j, k, minor cheliped (left), propodus, dactylus, mesial and lateral; l, m, pleopods 1, 2. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 10. Calliaxina novaebritanniae. Papua New Guinea, MNHN-IU-2014-8837 (male, 4.0 mm): a, anterior carapace, eyestalks, antennule, antenna; b, pleonal sternite 1, right pleopod 1(anterior uppermost); c, telson, uropod; d, maxilliped 3; e–g, pereopods 2–4; h, i, pleopods 1, 2. French Polynesia, UF 23954 (female, 5.1 mm): j, anterior carapace, eyestalks, antennule, antenna. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 12. Calliaxina spp. C. bulimba: a, major cheliped, mesial. C. kensleyi: b, c, major cheliped lateral, mesial. C. novaebritanniae: d, major cheliped, mesial; e, minor cheliped, mesial. C. sakaii: f, g, minor cheliped mesial, lateral. Thoracic sterna: h, C. bulimba; i, C. kensleyi; j, C. novaebritanniae. Various scales.