Galathea mauritiana Bouvier, 1914

Macpherson, Enrique & Cleva, Régis, 2010, Shallow-water squat lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from Mayotte (Comoros Island), La Réunion and Madagascar, with the description of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 2612, pp. 57-68 : 59

Galathea mauritiana Bouvier, 1914

( Figs. 3 C, D)

Galathea mauritiana Bouvier, 1914: 5 . — Baba et al. 2008: 73 (compilation). — Baba et al. 2009: 115, figs. 94–117 ( Taiwan).

Material examined. Mayotte. Stn 12a, reef La Prévoyante, 12°41'34.70"S, 45°09'59.99"E, 6–11 m, J.-M. Bouchard, V. Dinhut, J. Dumas coll., 0 6 November 2009, coral bottom with Acropora , 1 ov. F 3.2 mm (MNHN-Ga7335). — Stn 14, Banc de La Prudente, 12°38'50.68"S, 44°58'41.93"E, 15–17 m, J.-M. Bouchard, V. Dinhut, J. Dumas coll., 0 9 November 2009, coral boulders on sand bottom, 1 M 3.8 mm (MNHN-Ga7336). — Stn 17, North Reef, 12°34'49.93"S, 45°05'52.62"E, 22 m, J.-M. Bouchard, V. Dinhut, J. Dumas coll., 10 November 2009, outer reef, coral boulders on sand bottom, 2 M 3.4–4.2 mm, 2 ov. F 2.2–2.7 mm (MNHN- Ga7337).

Madagascar. Nosy Be, off Lokobe reserve, seagrass, 13º28.834'S, 48º18.336'E, 1–3 m, 16 May 2008, 1 ov. F 3.6 mm (UF14334).

Coloration. Base color reddish or brownish, with dark and light transverse lines. P1–4 sometimes with reddish longitudinal lines, and scatterd reddish or greenish and whitish spots; distal portion of P1 palm and proximal part of P1 fingers whitish; dark blue spot on the dorsodistal part of P1 palm.

Distribution. Widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, from the eastern coast of Africa, including Mauritius (type locality) and Madagascar, to Japan, Indonesia, New Guinea, Loyalty Islands, Fiji Islands, and French Polynesia. The species is usually found on corals, rocks and seagrasses, from 0 to 48 m. The present material, from Mayotte and Madagascar, was caught at 1– 13 m.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A, Galathea aegyptiaca Paul’son, 1875, Madagascar, Nosy Be, ov. F 3.6 mm (UF 14013), dorsal view. B, Galathea aegyptiaca Paul’son, 1875, Madagascar, Nosy Be, M 3.0 mm (UF 14576), dorsal view. C, Galathea mauritiana Bouvier, 1914, Madagascar, Nosy Be, ov. F 3.6 mm (UF 14334), dorsal view. D, Galathea mauritiana Bouvier, 1914, Mayotte, ov. F 3.2 mm (MNHN-Ga 7335), dorsal view. E, Galathea denticulata new species, Mayotte, holotype, M 2.2 mm (MNHN-Ga 7338), dorsal view. F, Galathea spinosorostris Dana, 1852, Mayotte, M 3.2 mm (MNHN-Ga 7340), dorsal view. G, Galathea tanegashimae Baba, 1969, Madagascar, Nosy Be, M 3.8 mm (UF 14413), dorsal view. H, Galathea tanegashimae Baba, 1969, Mayotte, ov. F 3.7 mm (MNHN-Ga 7342), dorsal view. I, Galathea ternatensis De Man, 1902, Madagascar, Nosy Be, F 4.0 mm (UF 12554), dorsal view. J, Galathea ternatensis De Man, 1902, Madagascar, Nosy Be, F 3.4 mm (UF 14630), dorsal view. K, Macrothea bouchardi new species, Mayotte, holotype, M 3.5 mm (MNHN-Ga 7350), dorsal view. L, Sadayoshia edwardsii (Miers, 1884), Mayotte, M 4.6 mm (MNHN-Ga 7351). Photographs: Madagascar, G. Paulay; Mayotte, J. Poupin & R. Cleva.