Polycheles auriculatus (Bate, 1878)

Ahyong, Shane T. & Galil, Bella S., 2006, Polychelidae from the southern and western Pacific (Decapoda, Polychelida), Zoosystema 28 (3), pp. 757-767 : 762

Polycheles auriculatus (Bate, 1878)

Pentacheles auriculatus Bate, 1878a: 280 (type locality: off Kandavu Island , Fiji, 19°07.50’S, 178°19.35’E); 1878b: 484; 1878c: 563.

Stereomastis auriculata – Bate 1888: 159.

Pentocheles auriculata – Bate 1888: pl. 16, figs 3, 4.

Polycheles auriculatus – Galil 2000: 293, 315-317, fig. 12. — Ahyong & Chan 2004: 176 , figs 3A-C, 4D.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Solomon Islands. SALO- MON 1, stn CP 1755, 8°58.2’S, 159°41.6’E, 1288- 1313 m, 26.IX.2001, 1 ♂ cl 15.5 mm. — Stn CP 1751, 9°10.4’S, 159°53’E, 749-799 m, 25.IX.2001, 2 ♀♀ cl 60.0- 62.2 mm. — Stn CP 1754, 9°00.1’S, 159°49.0’E, 1169-1203 m, 26.IX.2001, 3 ♂♂ cl 15.7-19.3 mm, 1 ♀ cl 16.0 mm. — Stn CP 1764, 8°36.6’S, 160°07.4’E, 1327- 1598 m, 27.IX.2001, 2 ♀♀ cl 16.4-16.5 mm. — Stn CP 1781, 8°31.2’S, 160°37.7’E, 1036-1138 m, 29.IX.2001, 2 ♂♂ (not measured), 2 ♀♀ (not measured). — Stn CP 1807, 9°42.2’S, 160°52.8’E, 1077-1135 m, 2.X.2001, 5 ♂♂ cl 16.5-38.6 mm, 5 ♀♀ cl 16.6-25.9 mm. — Stn CP 1858, 9°37.0’S, 160°41.7’E, 435-461 m, 7.X.2001, 1 ♀ cl 24.9 mm.

Fiji. MUSORSTOM 10, stn CP 1353, Viti Levu, 17°30.9’S, 178°53.3’E, 879-897 m, 12.VIII.1998, 2 ♂♂ cl 20.7-23.4 mm, 3 ♀♀ cl 20.9-24.4 mm (MNHN-Pa 1784). — Stn CP 1354, Viti Levu, 17°42.6’S, 178°55’E, 959-963 m, 12.VIII.1998, 1 ♂ cl 25.5 mm, 2 juveniles (MNHN-Pa 1783). — Stn CP 1361, Viti Levu, 18°00’S, 178°53.7’E, 1058-1091 m, 13.VIII.1998, 1 ♂ cl 20.2 mm (MNHN-Pa 1782).

DISTRIBUTION. — Marquesas archipelago, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Australia, Philippines, Taiwan, and now the

Solomon Islands; 435-1598 m ( Galil 2000; this study).

REMARKS

The specimens agree well in almost all respects with Galil (2000). Lateral carapace spination (5-7:3:7-8) agrees with the reported range ( Galil 2000; Ahyong & Chan 2004) and the branchial carina spination ranges from 5 to 10, in correlation with size. A feature of most specimens of P. auriculatus , but not mentioned by Galil (2000), is noteworthy. The anterior margin of the second abdominal pleuron usually bears one or two small spines or acute tubercles (smaller or obsolete in females). The anterior margin of the second pleuron of Polycheles aculeatus Galil, 2000 is also armed and thus could be confused with P. auriculatus . The two species are readily distinguished, however, by the presence of a single spine ( P. aculeatus ) instead of several ( P. auriculatus ) on the cervical groove between the mid-line and carapace margin, and in the deep and distinct ( P. auriculatus ) instead of shallow and obsolete ( P.aculeatus )diagonal grooves on the dorsum of the second to fifth abdominal tergites.