Homola orientalis Henderson, 1888

Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2008, New western Pacific records of Homolidae De Haan, 1839, with descriptions of new species of Homolochunia Doflein, 1904, and Latreillopsis Henderson, 1888 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1967, pp. 1-35 : 6

Homola orientalis Henderson, 1888

For complete synonymy see Guinot & Richer de Forges 1981: 530. — Guinot & Richer de Forges 1995: 331. — Tan et al. 2000: 182. — Ng et al. 2001: 6. — Ng et al. 2008: 40.

Material examined. New Caledonia: CONCALIS cruise, stn. DW 2963, 18°22.08’S 162°58.75’E, 220–240 m, 2 May 2008: 1 male (15.3 x 12.0 mm) (NMCR) .— Stn. CP 3008, 18°30.29’S 163°04.12’E, 275–305 m, 7 May 2008: 3 ovigerous females (26.9 x 22.3 mm, 20.3 x 15.9 mm, 21.3 x 16.9 mm) ( ZRC 2008.0979 ) . Vanuatu: Espiritu Santo I., SANTO 2006, stn. AT 98, 15°06.6’S 166°50.8’E, 347–394 m, 14 October 2006: 1 female (16.6 x 12.8 mm) ( MNHN-B31282 ) .

Remarks. Homola orientalis is a very common species and has been recorded from most parts of the Indo-West Pacific, reaching as far east as Hawaii ( Guinot and Richer de Forges 1995). As Guinot and Richer de Forges (1981, 1995) have discussed at length, it is possible to approximately distinguish two “forms” of H. orientalis : one for the western Pacific and one for the Indian Ocean. But the small morphological differences observed and substantial variability which has been observed argues against recognizing both as separate taxa for the moment (see also Richer de Forges & Ng 2007). The present specimens from the north of New Caledonia are all very small and relatively more setose than material from elsewhere.