Gourretia de Saint Laurent, 1973

Ngoc-Ho, Nguyen, 2003, European and Mediterranean Thalassinidea (Crustacea, Decapoda), Zoosystema 25 (3), pp. 439-555 : 498-501

Genus Gourretia de Saint Laurent, 1973

TYPE SPECIES. — Callianassa denticulata Lutze, 1937 (= Callianassa subterranea var. minor Gourret, 1887 ), by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS. — Carapace lacking dorsal oval and rostral carina; rostral spine usually present, small, straight or slightly upturned; lateral projection on either side small or absent. Telson about as long as proximal width; lateral borders parallel in proximal third, converging distally to straight or convex posterior border. A1 peduncle not overreaching that of A2. Mxp1 endopod elongate, epipod large, truncate anteriorly. Mxp2 with small epipod. Mxp3 pediform, with exopod; ischium with prominent toothed crest on mesial surface; lower distal margin of merus unarmed or with spines. Both major and minor P1 with proximal lower spine on merus; minor P1 with palm tapering distally. P2 fixed finger and dactylus with cutting edge unarmed or bearing teeth. P3 and P4 dactylus narrow, pointed distally. P5 subchelate.

Single arthrobranch on Mxp2, paired arthrobranch on Mxp3 and P1-4.

Male Plp1 uniramous, two-segmented, last segment bifurcate distally; male Plp2 biramous, foliaceous with appendix interna and appendix masculina. Female Plp1 uniramous, female Plp2 biramous, foliaceous with finger-like appendix interna. Plp3-5 biramous, foliaceous, with finger-like appendix interna sitting side by side with mesial border of endopod. Uropods about as long as telson; exopod without dorsal plate, posterior bor- der with or without notch.

REMARKS

Gourretia currently includes eight species, as list- ed in Tudge et al. (2000):

– G. barracuda Le Loeuff & Intès, 1974 ;

– G. biffari Blanco Rambla & Linero Arana, 1994 ;

– G. coolibah Poore & Griffin, 1979 ;

– G. crosnieri Ngoc-Ho, 1991;

– G. denticulata ( Lutze, 1937) , type species;

– G. lahouensis Le Loeuff & Intès, 1974 ;

– G. laresi Blanco Rambla & Linero Arana, 1994 ; – G. manihinae Sakai, 1984 .

Manning & Felder (1991) as well as Tudge et al. (2000) mentioned three differentiating characters for the above species: 1) rostrum straight or (slightly) upturned; 2) lower distal margin of Mxp3 merus unarmed or with spine; and 3) posterior border of uropodal exopod with or without notch. Two others can be added: 4) and 5) minor P1 and P2 with or without teeth on cutting edge of fixed finger and dactylus. None of them however permits a clear species grouping. Considering two examples, on basis of characters 1-3 only, for simplification, it can be noted that: 1) both G. biffari and G. laresi have an upturned rostral spine and a distal spine on the Mxp3 merus, but a notch on the uropodal exopod is present in the former, absent in the latter; and 2) like G. laresi , three other species, G. barracuda , G. denticulata and G. manihinae , bear a distal spine on the Mxp3 merus and no notch on the uropodal exopod, but they differ from G. laresi by having a straight rostral spine. These differences are regard- ed here as specific variations.

By contrast, the diagnostic characters cited above link members of the genus. The following are most significant: 1) Mxp1 bears an elongate endopod and a large epipod truncate anteriorly; 2) Mxp3 is pediform, with exopod and a prominent toothed crest on mesial surface of ischium; 3) both major and minor P1 have a lower proximal meral spine; 4) minor P1 with the palm tapering distally; 5) the morphology of male and female Plp1, Plp2; 6) the shape of telson with lateral borders parallel proximally and converging distally to the posterior border; and 7) uropods are about as long as the telson, the exopod without a dorsal plate. These clearly define the genus.

Several similarities exist between members of Gourretia and Dawsonius latispina (Dawson, 1967) , type species of the genus Dawsonius Manning & Felder, 1991 . The grouping of the genera Gourretia and Dawsonius in a subfamily Gourretinae , as proposed by Sakai (1999b), seems justified.

Gourretia denticulata ( Lutze, 1937) ( Fig. 21 )

Callianassa subterranea var. minor Gourret, 1887: 1034 ; 1888: 96, pl. 8, figs 1-15.

Callianassa denticulata Lutze, 1937: 6 , figs 1-7; 1938: 170.

Gourretia serrata de Saint Laurent, 1979: 79 . — Thessalou-Legaki & Zenetos 1985: 311. — °Thessalou- Legaki 1986: 184. — °Pancucci-Papadopoulou et al. 1999: 393.

Callianassa (Cheramus) subterranea var. minor – Pesta 1918: 205 (part).

Callianassa (Cheramus) minor – de Man 1928 b: 26, 100. Callianassa stebbingi – Gottlieb 1953: 440.

Callianassa minor – Holthuis & Gottlieb 1958: 56, figs 11, 12. — Harmelin 1964: 95. — Pérès & Picard 1964: 66. — Picard 1965: 59. — de Gaillande 1970: 377. Gourretia denticulata – Lewinsohn & Holthuis 1986: 24. — Števčić 1990: 218. — Manning & Felder 1991: 785. — Dworschak 1992: 210. — ° Koukouras et al. 1992: 223. — Dounas et al. 1993: 48. — ° Froglia 1995: 7. — Lopez de la Rosa et al. 1998: 393, fig. 1; 2002: 88. — d’Udekem d’Acoz 1999: 156. — Sakai 1999a: 128. — Tudge et al. 2000: 135. —?* Lindley et al. 2001: 46. — ° Türkay 2001: 289.

Gourretia minor – de Saint Laurent 1973: 514. — Le Loeuff & Intès 1974: 26, figs 4a-k. — de Saint Laurent & Božić 1976: 27, figs 6, 14, 22, 37, 41, 48. — Manning & Števčić 1982: 296. — Števčić 1985: 127. — Falciai & Minervini 1996: 145, figs.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — France. Marseille, in sediments with Posidonia, A. Willsie coll., 1 ( SMF 28336); Marseille, 1.8 m, 1 without abdomen ( SMF 28785).

Adriatic. Parenzan coll., 1971, 1 cl. 9 mm, tl. 39 mm (figured) (MNHN Th 118), 1 cl. 9.5 mm approx. (damaged) (figured) (MNHN Th 119), 1 cl. 5.5 mm (MNHN Th 120), 1 cl. 4 mm, just moulted (poor condition) (MNHN Th 121).

Greece. Aegean Sea, Vourvourou Chalkidikis, 0.5- 2 m, 10. V.1991, Siggitikos G., 1 (A.U.TH P 4528).

Israel. Haifa Bay, several spec., mostly juveniles, collected by bottomgrab or dredge, 34-82 m, between 1953-1956, leg. E. Gottlieb ( RMNH D 13811- 13830 ). — Athlit , bottomgrab, 54 m, 22.XI.1948, leg. A. Wirszubski, No. 710, 2 juv. ( RMNH D 13831 ) ; bottomgrab, 46 m, 8.VIII.1951, leg. E. Gottlieb, No. 1002, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13832 ) ; 54 m, 28.XII.1952, leg. E. Gottlieb, No. 1069, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13833 ) ; bottomgrab, 54 m, 26.IX.1949, leg. A. Wirszubski, No. 809, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13834 ). — Gaza , dredge, 27 m, 21. VI.1947, leg. A. Wirszubski, No. 538, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13835 ) ; bottomgrab, 56 m, 31.IX.1947, leg. A. Wirszubski, No. 656, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13836 ). — Nahariya , bottomgrab, 55 m, 18.IX.1947, leg. A. Wirszubski, No. 637, 1 juv. ( RMNH D 13837 ) .

Tunisia. Gulf of Gabès, Calypso, 1965 , stn SMF 1908 , 27.IV.1965, 3 cl. 5.5- 6mm ( MNHN Th 918) ; stn SMF 1951 , 2.V.1965, 1 cl. 6 mm ( MNHN Th 919) ; stn SMF 1942 , 2.V.1965, 2 cl. 4.5 and 5 mm, 1 cl. 5.5 mm and 1 cl. 6.5 mm, tl. 24 mm (figured) ( MNHN Th 920) .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Gourretia barracuda Le Loeuff & Intès, 1974 , Ivory coast, off Abidjan, 1 holotype ( MNHN Th 255). — Gourretia biffari Blanco Rambla & Linero Arana, 1994 , Venezuela, NW Barcelona, 1 holotype ( USNM 259410). — Gourretia crosnieri Ngoc-Ho, 1991, New Caledonia, Ouen Island, 1 holotype ( MNHN Th 1202), near Nouméa, 1 paratype ( MNHN Th 1203). — Gourretia lahouensis Le Loeuff & Intès, 1974 , Ivory coast, “Grand Lahou”, 1 holotype, 1 paratype ( MNHN Th 253). — Gourretia laresi Blanco Rambla & Linero Arana, 1994 , Venezuela, NW Chimana Islands, 1 holotype ( USNM 259376).

DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern Atlantic: SW of Spain ( Lopez de la Rosa et al. 1998, 2002). Mediterranean: Gulf of Marseille (de Saint Laurent & Božić 1976); Adriatic ( Števčić 1990); Aegean sea (Thessalou-Legaki 1986; Dounas et al. 1993); Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia (de Gaillande 1970); Cyprus ( Lewinsohn & Holthuis 1986); Israel ( Holthuis & Gottlieb 1958).

DIAGNOSIS

Details added to those given for the genus: carapace with small ( Fig. 21A ) or larger rostral spine overreaching middle of eyestalks (see Lopez de la Rosa et al. 1998). Telson ( Fig. 21M ) with convex posterior border.

Md ( Fig. 21C ) with small round teeth on cutting edge. Lower distal margin of Mxp3 merus ( Fig. 21E ) with one or two spines. Major P1 ( Fig. 21I ) ischium with spinules on lower border, merus with more or less pronounced lower rectangular expansion bearing proximal spine, cutting edge of fixed finger with two triangular teeth. Minor P1 ( Fig. 21G ) with spinules on ischium, cutting edge of fixed finger and dactylus with seven or eight teeth on distal half. P2 ( Fig. 21H ) with teeth on cutting edge of both fixed finger and dactylus, larger on fixed finger. P3 ( Fig. 21J ) propodus oval in outline, P4 ( Fig. 21K ) propodus linear, P5 ( Fig. 21L ) subchelate. Male, female Plp1, Plp2 ( Fig. 21 N-Q) and Pl3 ( Fig. 21R ) as figured. No notch on posterior border of uropodal exopod ( Fig. 21M ).

Colour

Unknown.

Size

cl. 4.5-9.5 mm, tl. 18-40 mm.

ECOLOGY

This species lives among Posidonia seagrass ( Harmelin 1964; Dworschak 1992), in sedimentary muddy bottoms, 2.5- 100 m ( Števčić 1990) or 2.5- 146 m depth ( Dworschak 1992).

REMARKS (after Lewinsohn & Holthuis 1986) This species was known in the past either under Callianassa minor or Gourretia minor or Gourretia serrata . It was first described by Gourret (1887) as Callianassa subterranea var. minor , and was later placed by de Saint Laurent (1973: 514) in a separate genus, Gourretia , for which it was made type species. In 1979, de Saint Laurent (1979: 79) reported that the name Callianassa subterranea minor Gourret, 1887 was a junior primary homonym of Callianassa minor Fischer, 1866 , a fossil species from the Miocene of southern France. At the same time, a replacement name, Gourretia serrata nom. nov. was proposed for the species. De Saint Laurent overlooked however another available name that was Callianassa denticulata Lutze, 1937 which species de Saint Laurent & Božić (1976: 27) had previously synonymised with Callianassa minor .

This taxonomic question was settled by Lewinsohn & Holthuis (1986: 24) and the name Gourretia denticulata ( Lutze, 1937) has been used thereafter.

Figures

FIG. 21. — Gourretia denticulata (Lutze, 1937); A, from Kotor, Adriatic, anterior part of carapace (from de Saint Laurent & Božić 1976); B, C, from Adriatic (MNHN Th 119); D-F, M-R, from Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia (MNHN Th 920); G-L, from Adriatic (MNHN Th 118); D-F, M-O,; P-R,; B, maxilliped 1; C, mandible; D, lateral view; E, F, maxilliped 3 and mesial view of ischium; G, I, left and right pereopod 1; H, J-L, pereopod 2-4 and distal part of pereopod 5; M, telson and uropods; N, O, female pleopod 1 and 2; P, Q, male pleopod 1 and 2; R, pleopod 3. Scale bars: A-M, R, 1 mm; N-Q, 0.5 mm.