Naushonia draconis Anker, 2014

Komai, Tomoyuki & Anker, Arthur, 2015, Additional records of the laomediid mud-shrimp genus Naushonia Kingsley, 1897 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea), with a revised identification key, Zootaxa 3974 (3), pp. 341-360 : 358

Naushonia draconis Anker, 2014

Fig. 9

Naushonia draconis Anker 2014: 761 , figs. 1–5 (type locality: Guadeloupe, French Antilles).

Material examined. Cuba: 1 male (pocl 5.1 mm), 1 female (pocl 5.6 mm), Isla de la Juventud, 21°35.1’N, 83°10.2’W, 11 m, coral reef, rubble, coll. M. Johnson et al., 28 June 2014, MZUSP 33201; 1 ovigerous female (pocl 5.2 mm), same collection data, RMNH. CRUS.D.57224.

Description. See Anker (2014).

Colouration in life. Body and appendages whitish with pale orange-yellow tinge and some iridescence, especially on chelipeds and pleon (see Anker 2014, fig. 5); eggs in ovigerous females bright orange-red (based on low-resolution field photographs).

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Guadeloupe (French Antilles) and Cuba ( Isla de la Juventud) ( Anker 2014; present study).

Remarks. Naushonia draconis was previously known from a single specimen, the male holotype from Guadeloupe, French Antilles ( Anker 2014). The Cuban material agrees almost perfectly with the holotype, except for some minor details, which all appear to be within an expected intraspecific variation in species of Naushonia . This variation includes the shape and armature of the mid-dorsal crests on the pleon ( Fig. 9 A, I), ventral armature of the pleomeres ( Fig. 9 B) and dentition on the chelipeds ( Fig. 9 J).

Anker (2014) dissected and illustrated the third and second maxillipeds of the holotype of N. draconis , but not the rest of the mouthparts in order not to further damage the unique specimen at that time. The new material enables us to illustrate the previously non-figured mandible, maxillule, maxilla and first maxilliped ( Fig. 9 C–G), which are all fairly typical for Naushonia . The posterolateral angles of the sixth pleomere are indeed produced into strong sharp spines, i.e. one on each side of the telson; both spines were broken in the holotype (see Anker 2014: fig. 2E, F). An interesting feature not specified in the original description of N. draconis is the presence a strong, sharp, posteriorly directed, median tooth on the sternum of the sixth pleomere; this tooth is present in both males and females and can be seen in the ventral view of the holotype ( Anker 2014: fig. 1B). The mesial side of the cheliped coxa is armed with a very stout, anteriorly directed, sharp spine; although not specifically mentioned in the original description, this spine can be seen even in the lateral view of the basal articles of the cheliped ( Anker 2014: fig. 3K).

The previously incompletely known gill formula of N. draconis was examined in a male specimen from Cuba (MZUSP 33201) and generally conforms to that of the other five species of the genus reported herein (see Table I). The arthrobranch at the base of the first maxilliped is well developed, with multiple lamellae ( Fig. 9 G). The epipod of the fourth pereopod is reduced to a simple lobe; there is apparently no setobranch on the fourth pereopod, corresponding to the epipod on the third pereopod.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Naushonia draconis Anker, 2014, male (A – H; pocl 5.1 mm) and female (I, J; pocl 5.6 mm) from Isla de la Juventud, Cuba (MZUSP 33201), A, pleon, mid-dorsal crests of first to sixth pleomeres, lateral view; B, same, ventral margins of pleomeres, lateral view; C, right mandible, lateral view; D, same, mesial view; E, right maxillule, lateral view; F, right maxilla, lateral view; G, right first maxilliped, lateral view; H, epipod complex of right third pereopod, lateral view; I, pleon, mid-dorsal crests of first to fourth pleomeres, lateral view; J, left cheliped, chela and distal portion of carpus, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm for A, B, E-G, I, J; 0.5 mm for C, D.