Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951

Marin, Ivan, 2008, Taxonomic position of Pontonides sympathes De Ridder & Holthuis and species of the genus Ve l e r o n i a Holthuis (Decapoda, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae) with the description of a new genus, Zootaxa 1932, pp. 1-17 : 8-9

Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951

( Figs. 6–9 )

Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951: 196 , pls. 62, 63, figs. a–e [type locality: La Libertad, Ecuador].

Material. — 9 ovigerous females, 13 males ( RMNH D 36508). Punta Tortuga, Isla Isabella, Galapagos, on Muricea appressa (Verrill) , coll. De Ridder, 11.xi.1975.

Diagnosis. — Small-sized shrimp with subcylindrical body. Carapace smooth, gibbous, with well marked, pointed antennal tooth, without hepatic tooth, with concave anterolateral angle. Orbits complete but unclosed posteriorly. Rostrum short, reaching to distal margin of basal antennular segment; supraorbital margin well developed, covering proximal part of eyestalk, reaching to the tip of the rostrum, with straight distal margin bearing small triangular teeth. Eyestalk normal, without tubercles. Pleura of abdominal somites IV–V rounded. Basal segment of antenna normal, with well developed distolateral tooth and additional lobe between tooth and the next segment, without additional lateral projection. Scaphocerite of antenna with well developed distolateral tooth. Maxilla with single well developed upper endite. Maxilliped I with completely fused endites, with well-developed epipod and reduced exopod. Maxilliped II with straight margin of dactylar segment, oval epipod present, exopod and podobranch absent. Maxilliped III with elongated intermediate segment, epipod well developed; with small arthrobranch, fusiform setae absent. Pereiopod I with simple fingers bearing stout setae along distal margin. Pereiopods II (chelipeds) unequal, differing in size; major chela with long curved propodus (palm), bearing tubercles, about 3.5 times longer than wide; fingers small and stout, about ¼ palm length; dactylus with single tooth on cutting edge situated in basal half, opposite to fossa on fixed finger; fixed finger subspatulate, cutting edge with two triangular teeth situated on outer side of the finger; minor chela with smooth propodus. Pereiopod III with smooth segments and curved sharp simple dactylus. Exopod of uropod with distolateral tooth, movable spine absent.

Remarks. — The species can be clearly distinguished from Veleronia sympathes comb. nov., by its gibbous carapace, the presence of small teeth along the distal supraorbital margin and the reduced exopod of maxilliped II.

Distribution. — Known from Galapagos Islands, Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru; shallow waters, associated with gorgonian of the genera Muricea and Thesea (see Holthuis 1951; De Ridder 1980; Vargas-Castillo & Cortés-Núnez 1999; Wicksten & Hernández 2000).

Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951 , ovigerous female (A–G), male (H). A–B, carapace. C–D, antennula. E, scaphocerite. F, telson and uropod. G, distolateral tooth of exopod of uropod. H, appendix masculina. Scale 1 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951, ovigerous female, general view. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951, ovigerous female. A, mandible. B, distal margin of incisor process of mandible. C, maxillula. D, maxilla. E, maxilliped I. F, maxilliped II. G, maxilliped III. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Veleronia serratifrons Holthuis, 1951, ovigerous female. A, pereiopod I. B, same, chela. C, major pereiopods II. D – E, fingers of major pereiopod II. F, minor pereiopod II. G, same, chela. H, pereiopod III. Scale 1 mm.