Mallacoota insignis (Chevreux, 1901)

Elasmopus insignis Chevreux, 1901: 406, figures 24–31. — Walker 1909: 336.

? Elasmopus indicus Pirlot, 1936: 326 .

Maera insignis: Schellenberg, 1938: 50, figure 24; Barnard, 1955: 23; Barnard, 1970: 147, figure 89; Sivaprakasam, 1970: 39, figure 1 h; Ledoyer, 1972: 223, pl. 41–42. Mallacoota insignis: Barnard, 1972 a: 243; Ledoyer, 1978: 281, figure 31 (I); Ledoyer, 1979: 82; Ledoyer, 1982: 552, figure 210; Myers, 1985: 117, figures 93–94; Appadoo et al., 2002 b: 788, figure 13.

Material examined. 3 males, 3 females living on Jania adherens attached to basaltic rocks, 5 males, 11 females and 4 juveniles on Gracilaria sp., at depths of less than 1m, from Pointe Cotton (19 ° 40.833 ’S, 63 29 ° 548 ’E), 18 September 2001. 3 males, 3 females among compacted coral rock on reef crest, Coton Bay, 19?° 40.810 ’S, 63 ° 29.540 ’E, 18 September 2001. 2 males, 1 female among Halophila ovalis, Gravier (19 ° 43.879 ’S, 63 ° 28.875 ’E), 19 September 2001. 2 males, 1 juvenile from dead coral rubble, Riviere Banane (19 ° 40.271 ’S, 63 ° 28.575 ’E), 20 September 2001. 1male, 1 female from Hydroclathrus clathratus, 1 male from Turbinaria ornata, Grand Baie (19 ° 40.083 ’S, 63 ° 27.229 ’E), 22 September 2001.

Remarks. Mallacoota insignis is a widespread Indo-Pacific species. It is also widely distributed in Rodrigues Island as it has been collected from several sites. The same widespread distribution was observed in Mauritius (see Appadoo et al., 2002 b). Among its distinguishing features are the presence of irregular teeth and dense fine setae on the palm of male gnathopod 2 (see Appadoo et al., 2002 b, p. 788, figure 13), the enlarged dactylus extending about three-quarter the length of the propodus; enlarged merus and carpus of pereopods 6 and 7.

Type locality. Mahé, Seychelles

Distribution. Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Fiji Kiribati, Tarawa, Hawaii.