Pasiphaea taiwanica Komai, Lin & Chan, 2012

Rodrigues, Thaiana G. A. & Cardoso, Irene A., 2019, First record of four Pasiphaea Savigny, 1816 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Pasiphaeidae) species from the southwestern Atlantic, Zootaxa 4560 (2), pp. 321-330 : 323-324

Pasiphaea taiwanica Komai, Lin & Chan, 2012

( Figure 3 )

Pasiphaea taiwanica Komai et al., 2012: 318 –324; figs. 18–20.

Material Examined: REVIZEE. St. 0 520, 13°21.837’S, 38°16.683’W, 2137m, 1 ovigerous female (30.19mm), MNRJ27932.

Diagnosis. Body moderately hard. Rostrum without slit at base, relatively wide, directed forward, ending in sharp tooth that reaches anterodorsal margin of carapace; anterior margin faintly sinuous inferiorly ( Fig. 3A, B ). Carapace not carinate except for short carina supporting rostrum, dorsal margin in lateral view slightly sinuous ( Fig. 3A ). Branchiostegal sinus deep; branquiostegal spine small and submarginal, overreaching anterolateral margin ( Fig. 3A ). First pereopod with 8–12 spines on merus, unarmed on ischium, with posterodistal tooth on basis ( Fig. 3C ). Second pereopod with merus with 18–20 spines, unarmed on ischium and basis, posterodistal tooth on basis ( Fig. 3D ). First to third and fifth abdominal somites rounded dorsally; fourth abdominal somite rounded in anterior half, flattened in posterior half; sixth abdominal somite rounded posteriorly and flattened anteriorly ( Fig. 3E, F ). Telson shallowly grooved in dorsal midline; posterior margin truncate with 4 pairs of spines ( Fig. 3G, H ); telson longer than sixth somite. Pleurobranch on eighth thoracic somite normally developed (modified from Komai et al., 2012).

Distribution. Type locality: Pacific Ocean: Southwestern Taiwan (21°47.35’N, 120°29.7’E). Atlantic Ocean, Brazil (Bahia). Depth: 226 – 2137m.

Remarks: The material herein examined agrees with Komai et al. (2012) description in all features except by the number of spines in the merus of the first and second pereopods: first pereopod with 10–12 spines in the Brazilian material ( Fig. 3C ) while Komai et al. (2012) observed 8 spines in the Taiwan material; second pereopod with 18–20 spines in the Brazilian material ( Fig. 3D ) vs. 18–19 spines in the Taiwan material. The material examined features 4 pairs of spines were observed in the telson ( Fig. 3H ), while the specimen analyzed by Komai et al. (2012) has the telson damaged.

Pasiphaea taiwanica was not assigned to any species group and is close related to Pasiphaea chacei Yaldwyn, 1962 , P. falx Komai, Lin & Chan, 2012 and P. aequus Komai, Lin & Chan, 2012 (Komai et al., 2012). Pasiphaea chacei differs from P. taiwanica by the rostrum elongate, far overreaching the posterior margin of the carapace. Pasiphaea taiwanica differs from P. falx and P. aequus by the first pereopod with strong palm ( Fig. 3C ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pasiphaea taiwanica Komai, Lin & Chan, 2012, female (30.19mm), MNRJ27932. A. Carapace, lateral view; B. Carapace, dorsal view; C. Right first pereopod, lateral view; D. Right second pereopod, lateral view; E. Sixth abdominal somite, lateral view; F. Sixth abdominal somite, dorsal view; G. Telson, dorsal view; H. Posterior margin of telson, dorsal view.