Sphaeropeltarion edentatum, Tavares & Cleva & Contents, 2010

Tavares, Marcos & Cleva, Régis, 2010, Trichopeltariidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura), A New Family And Superfamily Of Eubrachyuran Crabs With Description Of One New Genus And Five New Species, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 50 (9), pp. 97-157 : 151-154

Sphaeropeltarion edentatum sp. nov.

( Figures 1D ; 34 A-F; 35A-F)

Material examined:. Wallis. and. Futuna. Islands ,. MUSORSTOM. 7,. stn DW. 557,. 11°48.1’S- 178°18.2’W,.608- 600 m,. 19 May 1992,. holotype,. ♀. 44.2 x 39.4 mm.( MNHN-B31974 ) .

Description of the holotype:. Carapace. subcircular,. slightly.oblong.axially,.strongly.arched.both.transversally.and.longitudinally,.covered.with.both.thin.coat. of.velvet.and.sparse.short.setae..Front.cut.into.three. short,. spatuliform,. forward. directed. rostral. teeth.. Rostral. teeth. equal. in. length,. tip-rounded,. central. slightly. broader. than. laterals,. each. tooth. ending. in. small,.rounded.granule;.rounded.granule.followed.by. at.least.one.additional.smaller.granule,.barbs.lacking.. Orbits.large,.directed.laterally;.ocular.peduncles.slen- der,. cornea. very. small,. unpigmented.. Orbital. teeth. lacking.barbs,.triangular.in.outline..First.two.supraorbital.and.exorbital.teeth.separated.from.one.another. and.from.lateral.rostral.tooth.by.deep,.wide,.V-shaped. gap;.distance.between.lateral.rostral,.first.two.supraorbital.and.exorbital.teeth.increasing.from.back.to.front.. First.supra-orbital.tooth.broadest,.second.supra-orbital.and.exorbital.teeth.small,.about.same.size..Anterolateral. margin. rounded,. hepatic,. post-hepatic,. and. epibranchial.teeth.reduced.to.single.tubercles;.hepatic. largest,. well. recognizable;. post-hepatic. and. epibranchial. hardly. recognizable,. sided.by.similar.tubercles.. Posterolateral. margin. smooth,. indistinct,. convex,. extending.obliquely.into. posterior.margin.. Posterior. margin.slightly.concave.axially,.weakly.convex.laterally,.bordered.with.row.of.small.granules,.all.about.same. size..Dorsal.surface.of.carapace.smooth,.except.for.few. sparse.granules..Regions.of.carapace.poorly.delimited,. branchio-cardiac. groove. well. recognizable,. weakly. excavated.. Metabranchial. region. smooth,. except. for. few.sparse.granules..Buccal.frame.nearly.rectangular,. somewhat.wider.anteriorly..Insertions.of.mxp3.placed. well.apart.

Thoracic . sternum. ovoid,. smooth,. longer. than. wide;.maximum.width.attained.at.segment.5;.segment. 3.with.two.lateral.expansions,.4.traversed.by.strongly. setose.line.at.level.of.P1.coxa,.setae.noticeably.long.. Vulvae.large,.subcircular,.unoperculated,.placed.next. to.the.sternal.suture.5/6.

Chelipeds.unequal.in.size,.right.slightly.larger,. homodonts..Dactylus,. propodus,.carpus,. and. merus. smooth,. except. for. few. sparse. granules,. strongly. setose,.setae.long..Cutting.edges.of.fingers.armed.with. low. teeth,. teeth. interfingering.. Pereiopods. smooth,. densely. setose;. dactyli. much. longer. than. propodus,. densely. velvet. all. over,. that. of. P5. additionally. with. long. setae. ventrally;. upper. and. lower. margins. of. merus.of.P2.through.P5.with.long.hairs.on.upper.and. lower.margins.

Female.abdomen.of.six.free.segments.and.telson,. segments.smooth,.bordered.by.long.setae.

Etymology:.The.specific.name.derives.from.the.Latin. edentatus,. toothless,. in. allusion. to. the. anterolateral. teeth.of.the.carapace.reduced.to.single.tubercles.

Remarks:. The. discovery. of. the. male. of. Sphaeropeltarion edentatum .sp. nov..will.permit.additional.taxonomic.details.to.be.added.to.the.original.description. and. probably. show. additional. differences. between. Sphaeropeltarion .and.other.trichopeltariid.genera.

Distribution:.The.species. is. so. far. known. only.from. Wallis.and. Futuna.Islands,.600-608.meters.depth.

Superfamily Cancroidea Latreille, 1802

Family Atelecyclidae Ortmann, 1893

Type genus: Atelecyclus .Leach,.1814.

Genera included: Atelecyclus .Leach,.1814.

Emended diagnosis:.Carapace.semi-circular,.moderately.arched.transversally;.its.dorsal.surface.ornamented. with. sparse. granules;. branchio-cardiac. groove. well. recognizable.. Gastric.pits.small,. close. to. each.other.. Hepatic,. first. and. second. epibranchial. teeth. armed. with.small.acute.spines. (barbs),. similar.in. form.and. shape. to. remaining. anterolateral. teeth.. Posterolateral.margin.of.carapace. bordered. with.sinuous.row.of. granules.. Orbit .deeply.excavated,.delimited.superiorly. by.two.supraorbital.teeth,.by.exorbital.tooth.laterally,. by. both. infraorbital. tooth. and. antennal. article. 2+3. inferiorly..Infraorbital.intercalated.piece.absent..Exorbital.and.infraorbital.teeth.separated.from.each.other. and.from.antennal.article.2+3.by.deep,.narrow.notch.

Ocular. peduncle. freely. movable,. fully. retractable. into. orbital. cavity,. thick,. and. moderately.

calcified..Cornea.large,.little.shorter.than.half.length. of.peduncle,.normally.pigmented.(dark.brown),.ommatidiae.well.recognizable.

Antennal.articles.2-3.fused.to.one.another.with. no. trace. of.suture.in. between.and.completely.fused. to. both,. lateral. rostral. tooth. and. infraorbital. tooth.. Antennal. article. 2+3,. immovable,. rather. flattened,.

largest.antennal.article.by.far..Antennal.conduit.present.(in. Atelecyclus rotundatus .only)..Articular.condyles. with.antennal.article.4.placed.so.that.fourth.antennal. article.moves.inwards.and.downwards.

Mandibular. palp.3-articulated,.all.articles.freely. movable.. Endostome. well. delimited. anteriorly. by. uninterrupted. strong. ridge,. clearly. demarcating. endostome.and.epistome..Endostomial.ridges.inward. directed,.aligned.with.antenna.of.opposite.side..Merus. of.mxp3.elongated,.much.longer.than.wide,.almost.as. long.as.ischium,.its.distal.end. reaching.antennal.article.2+3,.completely.closing.the.prostomial.chamber.

Male.and.female.sterno-abdominal.cavity.moderately.excavated;.lateral.borders.of.thoracic.sternite.4. subparallel;.thoracic.sternum.extremely.narrow,.with. subparallel. borders,. only. narrow. stretch. of. sternum. visible.at. each. side. of. abdomen;. sternal. sutures. 4/5,. 5/6,.6/7,.and.7/8.all. complete;.male. sternal. sutures. 5/6.and.6/7.parallel.to.each.other.(sutures.4/5,.5/6,. 6/7,.and.7/8.all.parallel.in.the.female)..Male.and.female. thoracic. sternum. divided. longitudinally. into. two.halves.by.median.line.stretching.uninterruptedly. from.sternite.4.to.8..Male.and.female.sterno-abdominal. cavity. narrow,. V-shaped. along. its. length. from. sternite. 4. throughout. sternite. 8.. Sternal. suture. 1/2. unrecognizable;.suture.2/3.represented.by.narrow.row. of.setae.on.center.of.shield,.between.level.of.arthrodial. cavities.of.mxp2.and.mxp3;.sternal.suture.3/4.recognizable.from.side.to.side,.weak.

Pleural.gutter.formed.by.both.Pl7.and.Pl8;.lateral.edges.of.Pl7.and.Pl8.upturned,.coalescent,.forming. narrow,.shallow,.triangular.gutter..Pl7-8. pleurobranchiae. lacking;. Pl6. and. Pl5. with. one. well. developed. pleurobranchia. each;. Pl4,. Pl3. with. two. pleurobranchia.each..Pl2.pleurobranchia.well.developed;.mxp2. podobranchia.reduced.to.few.lamellae.

Female.gonopores. located. about.mid-width. of. sternite. 6,. between. sternal. median. line. and. lateral. border.of.sternite.

Chelipeds. equal.. Penis. emerging. far. from. P5. coxo-sternal.condyle.

Telson.long,.acute..Male.abdomen.of.four.segments. and.telson,.abdominal.segments.3+4+5. fused. together..Complementary.parts.of.abdominal.locking. system.present,.always.functional.

Figures

FIGURE 1:.Schematic.drawing. and. terminology. of.the. trichopeltariid. carapace..A, Trichopeltarion.. B, Podocatactes.. C, Pteropeltarion.. D, Sphaeropeltarion edentatum.gen. nov.,.sp. nov.

FIGURE 34:.Sphaeropeltarion edentatum.gen. nov.,.sp. nov.,.holotype.female.44.2 x 39.4 mm.(MNHN-B31974)..A, Outline.of.anterior. region.of.carapace.in.dorsal.view..B, Detail.of.anterior.region.of.carapace.in.dorsal.view..C, Anterior.region.of.body.in.ventral.view.(setae.not. represented)..D, Thoracic.sternum..E, Left.P5.(setae.not.represented)..F, Left.cheliped.(setae.not.represented)..Ip,.Infraorbital.intercalated. piece.