Nephropsis sulcata Macpherson, 1990

Chang, Su-Ching & Chan, Tin-Yam, 2019, On the clawed lobsters of the genus Nephropsis Wood-Mason, 1872 recently collected from deep-sea cruises off Taiwan and the South China Sea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Nephropidae), ZooKeys 833, pp. 41-58 : 41

Nephropsis sulcata Macpherson, 1990 Fig. 9

Nephropsis sulcata Macpherson, 1990: 319, figs 13 e–g, 14a, b, 15a, b, 16g (type locality: Philippines); 1993: 64; Holthuis 1991: 47, figs 84, 85; Griffin and Stoddart 1995: 235, fig. 1; Chan 1997: 415; 2010: 157; Zarenkov 2006: 94, fig. 20A.

Nephropsis atlantica : Bruce 1966: 223. non Norman, 1882

Material examined.

Dongsha 2014, stn CP4130, 20°17.971'N, 116°07.966'E, 795-822 m, 2 May 2014, 1 male cl 16.6 mm (NTOU M02130).

Diagnosis.

Carapace generally smooth, with some small granules. Rostrum more than half carapace length, bearing two strong lateral spines. Median groove overreaching distal pair of lateral rostral spines. Posterior portion of subdorsal carina armed with several small spines. Postorbital and post-supraorbital spines present. Postcervical groove crossing midline of carapace. Distance between orbital margin and postercervical groove approximately 1.5 times distance between postcervical groove and posterior margin of carapace.

Abdominal tergites II–VI with distinct median carina. Anterior border of pleura II–V convex, each terminating in long, acute point. A single strong spine and 1-3 additional spines on anterior border of pleuron II. Anterior border of pleuron III with two small spines. Posterior border of pleuron V armed with a strong spine. Uropodal exopod with complete diaeresis.

Cheliped I bearing numerous granules on all articles. Carpus with anterodorsal and anteroventral spines; two spines on inner surface; outer surface with one spine on distal half. Carpus of pereiopod III 0.79 times palm length.

Color in life.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific from Madagascar, Laccadive Sea, Indonesia, South China Sea, northwestern and eastern Australia, Coral Sea, Chesterfield Islands, New Caledonia, and the Philippines, at depths of 200-1115 m ( Macpherson 1990, 1993; Holthuis 1991; Griffin and Stoddart 1995; Chan 1997; Zarenkov 2006).

Remarks.

The present specimen was collected off Dongsha in the South China Sea and the presence of N. sulcata off Dongsha has been reported before ( Bruce 1966, as N. atlantica Norman, 1882; see Macpherson 1990). Nephropsis sulcata can be distinguished from the closely related Atlantic species N. atlantica by the carpus of the pereiopod II being longer than the palm, and usually bearing a spine on the posterior border of the abdominal pleuron V (Fig. 9B; see also Chan 1997). Even though both sides of pereiopod II are missing in the present specimen, its remaining part agrees well with the description of N. sulcata by Macpherson (1990).