Chorisquilla mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998

(Fig. 4)

Chorisquilla mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998: 616 –617, fig. 1a. Ahyong, 2001: 87.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: USNM 260905, female (TL 16 mm), Gili Lawa Darat, Komodo, Indonesia, coll. M. Erdmann. PARATYPES: USNM 260906, 3 males (TL 11–14 mm), Hoga, Tukang Besi Archipelago, Indonesia, coll. M. Erdmann . USNM 260907, 1 female (TL 17 mm), Taipi, Togian Islands, Indonesia, coll. M. Erdmann. Other material examined. AM P 100681 , 2 males (TL 15 mm), 1 female (TL 16 mm), Unauna, Togian Islands, Indonesia, 0°09.5’N, 121°39.5’E, coll. M. Erdmann, 28 Nov 1999 .

Description. Eye (Fig. 4A) overreaching distal margin of antennular peduncle article 1. Cornea broadened but not bilobed, dorsoventrally flattened. Ocular scales narrow, sloping posteriorly, not produced laterally, anterior margins distinctly oblique to body axis, width together about three-fifths basal width of rostral plate.

Rostral plate (Fig. 4A) sharply trispinous; median spine reaching to proximal margin of cornea.

Carapace (Fig. 4A) with anterior margin of lateral plate concave, sloping posteriorly, anterolateral angles not extending anteriorly as far as level of base of rostral plate.

Antennular peduncle 0.70–0.88CL. Antennal protopod (Figs. 4A, B) mesial margin with blunt, fixed, anteriorly directed spine; short anteroventral spine below articulation with antennal scale. Antennal scale 0.43– 0.52CL.

Mandibular palp 2-segmented. Maxilliped 1–5 with epipod.

Raptorial claw (Fig. 4C) robust; occlusal margin of propodus minutely pectinated, with movable spine proximally. Dactylus outer margin with shallow basal notch; inner distal margin finely serrated, unarmed.

Thoracic somites 6–7 (Fig. 4D) lateral margin rounded to subtruncate, width subequal, with low submarginal ridge; somite 8 lateral margin narrowly rounded.

Male pleopod 1 endopod (Fig. 4E) posterior endite with lateral lobe.

Abdominal somites 1–3 smooth medially, with low marginal carina; posterolateral angle rounded. Abdominal somite 4 (Figs. 4F, G) smooth medially, with shallow lateral corrugation above low marginal carina; posterolateral corner angular. Abdominal somite 5 (Figs. 4F, G) smooth dorsally, with few small, shallow pits; posteromedian margin strongly concave; lateral surface corrugated, with 3 longitudinal ridges; posterolateral spine blunt. Abdominal somite 6 (Figs. 4F, G) with paired submedian, intermediate, and lateral bosses, each covered with short spinules, lateral boss with posterior spine; anterior margin adjacent to arthrodial membrane margin and anterior part of arthrodial membrane between somites 5 and 6 unarmed.

Telson (Figs. 4F, G) broader than long submedian primary teeth with curved, movable apices, articulating submarginally; with 10–13 spiniform submedian denticles; 2 spiniform intermediate denticles; intermediate teeth triangular, apex blunt or with minute spinule; lateral teeth short, slender, directed posterolaterally, lateral denticle present or absent. Dorsal surface of bosses and marginal carina covered with minute spinules, those of marginal carina arranged in 2 or 3 uneven rows, with outermost spinules larger, inclined dorsolaterally, partially overhanging lateral margin. Median boss ovate, not extending posteriorly to base of median fissure. Submedian bosses pyriform, longer than median boss, width distinctly greater than half-length, almost reaching posteriorly to base of intermediate denticles; without small boss anterior to each submedian boss. Lateral margin posterior one-third curved, unarmed; proximal two-thirds with 7–9 spines, posteriormost spine set-off from preceding spines by short convex margin, corresponding to lateral primary tooth (Figs. 4H, J), sometimes with minute lateral denticle at base (Fig. 4J); distal one-third curved, unarmed. Ventral surface of telson (Figs. 4H, J) smooth, without postanal carina.

Uropodal protopod (Figs. 4F, I) terminating in 2 flattened spines, outer longer; without lobe between terminal spines; dorsal surface with spine above exopod articulation and row of 2 or 3 (usually 2) slender spines proximally, adjacent to articulation of abdominal somite 6. Exopod proximal article with 8 or 9 movable spines and stout, fixed distal spine. Endopod slender, unarmed, with shallow median sulcus flanked laterally by low ridge; length 3.12– 3.49 × width.

Measurements. Male (n = 5) TL 11–15 mm, females (n = 3) 16–17 mm. Other measurements of holotype: CL 3.66 mm, antennular peduncle length 2.62 mm, antennal scale length 1.57 mm.

Habitat. Cavities in vertical reef surfaces and rock walls; 15 to at least 30 m depth.

Remarks. Erdmann & Manning (1998) diagnosed and provided a brief figure of C. mehtae . To facilitate comparison with C. orientalis n. sp., C. mehtae is redescribed and figured herein based on type and other material. Features distinguishing C. mehtae and C. orientalis are discussed under the account of the latter. All specimens examined are sexually mature.

Distribution. Eastern Indonesia, from Komodo, Tukang Besi and the Togian Islands.