Gothus teemo, Yuan & Jiang & Sha, 2024

Yuan, Zi-Ming, Jiang, Wei & Sha, Zhong-Li, 2024, Morphological and molecular evidence for Gothus teemo gen. et sp. nov., a new xanthid crab (Crustacea, Brachyura, Xanthoidea) from coral reefs in the South China Sea, with a review of the taxonomy of Actaeodes consobrinus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867), Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (3), pp. 965-987 : 965-987

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zse.100.117859
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:15CA9ED4-C24C-4AD7-81AC-F699FA953FE8
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12701267
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9A4FA138-D3F0-4FC0-8687-844B52C5BA15
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:9A4FA138-D3F0-4FC0-8687-844B52C5BA15
treatment provided by	Zoosystematics and Evolution by Pensoft
scientific name	Gothus teemo
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Gothus teemo sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5

Type material.

Holotype. China • 1 male; CW 3.7 mm, CL 2.6 mm; Triton Island , Xisha Islands; 15 ° 46 ' 52.61 " N, 111 ° 12 ' 28.62 " E; 5 m; 10 May. 2024; Ziming Yuan coll.; 2404189149; MBM 287027 View Materials . GoogleMaps

Paratypes. China • 1 female; CW 3.2 mm, CL 2.2 mm; Meiji Reef , Nansha Islands; 9 ° 52 ' 57.47 " N, 115 ° 33 ' 48.59 " E; 27 Apr. 2023; Aiyang Wang, Bingqin Liu coll.; 2304278379; MBM 287026 View Materials GoogleMaps • 1 male (decalcified); CW 3.2 mm, CL 2.4 mm; Meiji Reef , Nansha Islands; 9 ° 53 ' 1.15 " N, 115 ° 33 ' 37.42 " E; 27 Apr. 2023; Aiyang Wang, Bingqin Liu coll.; 2304278461; MBM 287024 View Materials GoogleMaps • 1 male (partially crushed); CW 4 mm, CL 2.7 mm; Meiji Reef , Nansha Islands; 9 ° 53 ' 1.15 " N, 115 ° 33 ' 37.42 " E; 27 Apr. 2023; Aiyang Wang, Bingqin Liu coll.; 2304278486; MBM 287025 View Materials GoogleMaps • 2 juveniles; CW 1.8–2.2 mm, CL 1.3–1.5 mm; Meiji Reef , Nansha Islands; 9 ° 54 ' 25.75 " N, 115 ° 29 ' 49.44 " E; 3 m; 6 May 2022; Ziming Yuan, Yuli Sun, Shaobo Ma coll.; NS-MJ- 2022-1287 ; MBM 287023 View Materials GoogleMaps • 1 juvenile; CW 2 mm, CL 1.3 mm; Meiji Reef , Nansha Islands; 9 ° 53 ' 30.84 " N, 115 ° 34 ' 22.05 " E; 5 m; 11 Apr. 2024; Ziming Yuan coll.; 2404188048; MBM 287022 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Description.

Carapace (Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 3 A View Figure 3 ) broader than long, CW about 1.5 times the CL, dorsal surface bearing round granules, regions well defined, 1 M separated from 2 M by shallow transverse groove; 2 M indistinct divided, lateral lobe with elevated pointed tuberosity; 3 M distinct, undivided; 4 M indistinct; 1 L, 3 L, 4 L indistinct; 2 L, 5 l, 6 L distinct, with elevated sharp tuberosity each on 2 L, 5 L; 1 P distinct, 2 P indistinct, flat; 2 M, 5 L, and 6 L regions each with a tuft of setae; front wide, about 0.4 times CW, not protruding, divided into two slightly triangular lobes by a V-shaped notch, a small pore visible from front introduced from median notch (Fig. 1 B View Figure 1 ), frontal lobes and dorsal inner orbital angle separated by shallow depression; eyestalks densely granulated; area behind outer orbital angle slightly concave, not forming a subhepatic cavity; anterolateral margin starting from subhepatic region; first tooth nearly completely reduced; subsequent three teeth developed; second and third teeth nearly equal; fourth tooth smaller; carapace widest at second tooth; posterolateral margin almost straight; subhepatic region densely granulated; posterior margin nearly straight.

Epistome (Fig. 1 B, E View Figure 1 ) central region with short median projection on posterior margin pronounced; lateral regions with undulating posterior margins; maxilliped 3 (Figs 1 B, E View Figure 1 , 3 B View Figure 3 ) granulated; ischium subrectangular; presenting submedian groove; merus subquadrate; anterior margin indented; external anteroexternal angle expanded. Antennule (Fig. 1 B, E View Figure 1 ) folding transversely; basal segment of antenna subrectangular; contacting ventral external frontal margin and ventral internal orbital angle; antennal flagellum filling orbital hiatus.

Chelipeds (Figs 2 A, B View Figure 2 , 3 C View Figure 3 ) symmetrical; meri short; carpi robust, with square-shaped outward expansion, surface granulated, aggregated into nodules; palms dorsally with three protuberances, outer and dorsal surfaces densely granulated; fingers elongated, with triangular teeth, tips sharp, crossing at extremities when closed; dorsal surface of movable finger with three granular ridges; outer surface of immovable finger with two granular ridges.

Ambulatory legs (Figs 1 A, D View Figure 1 , 3 D View Figure 3 ) meri flattened, P 5 merus length about 3.6 times width of distal end, granulated dorsally and along anterior and posterior edges; carpi granulated dorsally and along anterior edge, dorsal surface with a grooved indentation near anterior edge; propodi granulated dorsally and along edges; dactyli elongated, margins armed with granules and setae, terminal end chitinous, sharp, slightly curved backward, dactylo-propodal lock very weak and inconspicuous.

Male thoracic sternum (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ) with sternites 1 and 2 completely fused, suture between sternites 2 and 3 straight, complete, sternites 3 and 4 mostly fused, suture between them visible only at margins, sternites 3 short, sternite 4 with central longitudinal groove, tubercle of sterno-pleonal lock (press-button mechanism) located on posterior of sternite 5. Male pleon (Figs 2 C, E View Figure 2 , 3 F View Figure 3 ) narrow; pleonites 3 to 5 completely fused, lateral margins of pleonite 6 slightly concave, telson long and broad, width slightly greater than length, truncated oval, basal margin wider than terminal margin of pleonite 6; paired tufts of setae present on margins of middle part and terminal margin of pleonites 3–5 and terminal margin of pleonite 6. Female pleon (Figs 2 D, F View Figure 2 , 3 E View Figure 3 ) oval-shaped, margins of pleonite 6 slightly concave; telson triangular; vulva longitudinally ovate, located at upper of sternite 6, occupying anteromedial half, near sternites 5 / 6 (Fig. 2 G View Figure 2 ).

G 1 (Fig. 3 G, H, I, J View Figure 3 ) slender, distal lobe prominent but not excessively elongated, long setae on inner subdistal side, small spines on outer side. G 2 (Fig. 3 K, L View Figure 3 ) short, distal lobe elongated, slightly curved upwards.

Live coloration.

Overall white to coral pink in coloration, carapace adorned with symmetrical black to brown stripes, ambulatory legs and chelipeds bearing stripes of similar coloration, anterior part of chelipeds carpus red (Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 ). Fingers brownish-black, the coloration of immovable finger extending onto the palm along both the inner and outer surfaces in male (Fig. 2 A, B View Figure 2 ).

Etymology.

The new species is named after Teemo, a character from the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) video game League of Legends. This character, modeled after a raccoon, has a fluffy, diminutive stature with a brown and white intermingled fur coat. This alludes to the new species’ small size, densely covered short setae, and brown-striped coloration.

Distribution.

Currently known from the type locality at Triton Island, Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands), and Meiji Reef (Mischief Reef), Nansha Islands ( Spratly Islands), it inhabits crevices in shallow coral reefs.

Remarks.

Apart from the members of the subfamily Euxanthinae already compared in the remarks of Gothus gen. nov., the species is most similar to Actaeodes consobrinus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873) . They share similarities in the carapace outline, the shape of the male pleon, and even in the pattern of the live coloration. However, G. teemo sp. nov. can be differentiated from A. consobrinus by the following features: the first tooth on the anterolateral margin of the carapace is completely reduced, almost invisible (Figs 1 A, C View Figure 1 , 3 A View Figure 3 ) (vs. the first tooth low but still visible in A. consobrinus ; Figs 7 A, B View Figure 7 , 8 A View Figure 8 , 9 A, B View Figure 9 ); carapace regions more pronounced, with tufts of setae (Figs 1 C View Figure 1 , 3 A View Figure 3 ) (vs. carapace regions flatter, without tufts of setae in A. consobrinus ; Figs 7 A, B View Figure 7 , 8 A View Figure 8 , 9 A, B View Figure 9 ); cheliped carpus with square-shaped outward expansion (Fig. 1 A View Figure 1 ) (vs. cheliped carpus nearly spherical in A. consobrinus ; Figs 7 A View Figure 7 , 8 A, B View Figure 8 ); male pleon relatively broader, telson width slightly greater than length (Figs 2 F View Figure 2 , 3 F View Figure 3 ) (vs. pleon very narrow, telson longer than wide in A. consobrinus ; Figs 7 D View Figure 7 , 8 E View Figure 8 ); G 1 distal lobe shorter (Fig. 3 G – J View Figure 3 ) (vs. G 1 distal lobe significantly elongated in A. consobrinus ; Fig. 8 F – G View Figure 8 ).