Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905

Wang, Yan-Rong & Sha, Zhong-Li, 2015, A review of the genus Synalpheus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Alpheidae) from China seas, Zoological Systematics 40 (4), pp. 355-435 : 411-414

3.2.23 Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905 ( Figs 37–38 )

Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905 . Fauna and Geog. Maid, and Laccad., 2(4): 872, pl. 71, fig. 7; Banner, 1953. Pacif. Sci., 7(1): 40, fig. 13–14; 1956. Pacif. Sci., 10(3): 331, fig. 6; Banner & Banner, 1975. Records of the Australian Museum, 29(12): pl. 383, fig. 29.

Synalpheus paraneomeris halmaherensis de Man, 1909 . Tijdschr. ned. dierk. Vereen, 11(2): 122.

Synalpheus paraneomeris praedabundus de Man, 1909 . Tijdschr. ned. dierk. Vereen, 11(2): 123.

Synalpheus paraneomeris prolatus de Man, 1911 . Siboga Exped. , 39(2): 241 (cf. Banner 1953: 43).

Synalpheus paraneomeris prasalini Coutière, 1921 . Trans. Finn. Soc. Fond. IF., 17(4): 415, pl. 61, fig. 6.

Synalpheus paraneomeris seychellensis Coutière, 1921 . Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. II, 17(4): 415, pl. 61, fig. 7.

Synalpheus townsendi Coutière, 1909 . Proc. U. S. nat. Mus., 36 (1659): 32 (partim cf. Banner, 1953: 44).

Material examined. CL 3.2–5.7 mm, TL 6.9–14.3 mm. ( MBM 158980), 22 ovigerous ♀, 37♂, Chenhang Island N-side, Xisha Islands, 18 May 1981, coll. Zhao-Hong Meng, Hui-Lian Chen; ( MBM 270026), 1♂, Panshi Yu, Xisha Islands, 15 April 1975; ( MBM 157973), 1♂, Jinqing Island, Xisha Islands, 25 April 1958, coll. Zhen-Gang Fan, Jie-Shan Xu; ( MBM 107762), 2 ovigerous ♀, Shi Island, Xisha Islands, 10 May 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang; ( MBM 158852), 1 ovigerous ♀, Nansha Islands, 14 May 1990; ( MBM 107748), 2♂, depth 1–3 m, 26 March 1992; ( MBM 107750), 1 ovigerous ♀, Dong Island, Xisha Islands, 28–31 May 1980; ( MBM 107746), 10 ovigerous ♀, 10♂ ,, Yongxing Island, Xisha Islands, 11–13 June 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang; ( MBM 157909), 1♂; ( MBM 158233), 1 ovigerous ♀, Dazhou Island, 12 June 1957; ( MBM 107753), 1♂, Dong Island, Xisha Islands, 28–31 May 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang; ( MBM 107759), 1 ovigerous ♀, Jinyin Island, Xisha Islands,, 15 May 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang; ( MBM 158296), 1♂, Dong Island, Xisha Islands, 9 June 1975, coll. Xian-Qiu Ren; ( MBM 107757), 1 ovigerous ♀, Yongxing Island, Xisha Islands, 11–13 June 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang. ( MBM 233239), 2♂, Yongxing Island, Xisha Islands, Sta. 3, 26 May 1975; ( MBM 157802), 1 ovigerous ♀, Dong Island, Xisha Islands, 28–31 May 1980; ( MBM 233267), 3 ovigerous ♀, 3♂, Dong Island, Xisha Islands, Sta. 5–9, 9 June 1975; ( MBM 158204), 1♂, Sanya, Dadonghai, 1 March 1997, coll. Xin-Zheng Li. ( MBM 157802), 1 ovigerous ♀; ( MBM 157995), 1♂, Xisha Islands, June 1958, coll. Shu-Lian Zheng; ( MBM 157827), 6 ovigerous ♀, 3♂; ( MBM 158499), 2♂; ( MBM 158308),1 ovigerous ♀, Shi Island, Xisha Islands, 8 May 1975; ( MBM 107749), 1 ovigerous ♀, Chenhang Island, Xisha Islands, 18 May 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang; 2 ovigerous ♀, Subi Reef, Nansha Islands, depth 2 m, 11 May 2004, coll. Yong-Qiang Wang; 1 ovigerous ♀, Subi Reef, Nansha Islands, depth 1.3 m, 4 May 2004, coll. Yong-Qiang Wang; 1 ovigerous ♀, 1♂, Subi Reef, Nansha Islands, depth 3 m, 6 May 2004, coll. Yong-Qiang Wang; 2 ovigerous ♀, 3♂, Subi Reef, Nansha Islands, depth 3 m, 10 May 2004, coll. Yong-Qiang Wang; 2 ovigerous ♀, 2♂, Subi Reef, Nansha Islands, depth 1.5 m, 1 May 2004, coll. Yong-Qiang Wang; ( MBM 107747), 1♂, Yongxing Island, Xisha Islands, 11 June 1980, coll. Xiu-Bin Fang.

Description. Carapace smooth, glabrous; rostrum about 2.3 times as long as wide at base, acute tip not reaching end of first segment of antennular peduncle; orbital hoods shorter than rostrum, wider at base than long; pterygostomial corner produced into acute angle; cardiac notch well developed.

Telson about 1.3 times as long as wide at base; dorsal surface with two pairs of spines, inserted approximately at 1/2 and 2/3 length of telson; posterior margin strongly produced, fringed with long setae, posterolateral angle each with two pairs of spines, lateral about 1/3 length of mesial, posterolateral margins each produced into small acute tooth, distinctly shorter than contiguous short spines.

Eyes concealed in dorsal view, exposed in lateral view.

Antennular peduncle moderately slender, with distally acute stylocerite, latter reaching middle of second segment of antennular peduncle; second segment about 1.5 times as long as wide at base; visible part of first segment longer than second and less twice as long as third. Basicerite without distodorsal tooth, distolateral tooth near as long as stylocerite, overreaching end of first segment of antennular peduncle; carpocerite far overreaching end of third segment of antennular peduncle; scaphocerite blade moderately narrow, hardly reaching end of third segment of antennular peduncle, lateral spine developed, overreaching end of antennular peduncle, much shorter than carpocerite.

Third maxilliped far beyond antennular peduncle and carpocerite when extended; antepenultimate segment longest; penultimate segment about 1.5 times as long as wide at base; tip of ultimate segment bearing crown of five long spine-like setae, with transverse rows of setae along ventral margin.

Major cheliped with short, stout ischium; merus about 3.5 times as long as wide at base, superodistal margin with one acute triangular tooth; carpus cup-shaped, with setae distodorsally; palm about 2.5 times as long as dactylus, distodorsal of palm slightly projecting; dactylus as long as pollex, distally slightly curved.

Minor chela with merus about 3.6 times as long as wide at base, superodistal margin with one acute triangular tooth; carpus cup-shaped, proportionally longer that of major cheliped; palm about 1.3 times as long as fingers; dactylus and pollex tapering, distal single tooth.

Second pereiopod with ischium shorter than merus; carpus five-segmented, segment ratio subequal to 7: 1.2: 1.5: 1.2: 2.6, with first segment longer than sum of last four segment; dorsal margin of palm convex; fingers near as long as palm. Third pereiopod moderately stout; merus slightly longer than propodus, about 3.5 times as long as wide at base; carpus about 1/2 length of merus, with dorsal margin extended into an obtuse tooth, ventral margin with one distal spine; propodus with 4–5 spines along ventral margin plus one distal pair of spines near dactylus; dactylus about 1/4 length of propodus, slightly curved to propodus, biunguiculate, extensor tooth slightly longer than flexor tooth, notch between extensor and flexor tooth V-shaped, flexor tooth much wider at base than extensor tooth. Fourth pereiopod generally similar to third; merus near as long as propodus; ventral margin of propodus with 4–5 spines plus one distal pair of spines. Fifth pereiopod similar to third and fourth pereiopod, ventral margin of carpus without distal one spine; ventral margin of propodus with five transversal rows of spine-like setae and one spines.

Remarks. This species was originally described by Coutière (1905). The present specimens show similar variability as the Australian specimens. However, one specimens has a much inflated major chela ( Fig. 38c–d ), which was not reported before. Miya (1972) described this species from Japan. His description was different from the present description in four ways: the rostrum more slender and reaching the middle of the second segment of the antennular peduncle rather than the end of the first segment; distal superior margin of the palm in the major chela with one tooth; the ventral margin of the propodus in third pereiopods with 7–8 spines rather than 4–5 spines; two pairs of spines of the telson more larger.

Distribution. South China Sea; Maldive Archipelago; Indonesia; Japan (variety?); Philippines; Mariana; Caroline; Marshall; Gilbert; Fiji; Samoa; Line and Hawaiian Islands; Australian.

Figures

Fig. 37. Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905, female (cl 4.1mm) (MBM 107746). a–b. Frontal region. a. Dorsal. b. Lateral. c–d. Third maxilliped. c. Dorsal. d. Tip, ventral. e–g. Major cheliped (left). e. Mesial. f. Merus, lateral. g. Chela, lateral. h. Minor cheliped (right), lateral. i. Second pereiopod, lateral. j–k. Third pereiopod. j. Lateral. k. Distal propodus and dactylus, lateral. l–m. Fourth pereiopod. l. Lateral. m. Distal propodus and dactylus, lateral. n. Fifth pereiopod, lateral. Scale bars: a–c, e–j, l, n = 1 mm; d, k, m=0.5mm.

Fig. 38. Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905, female (cl 4.1mm) (MBM 107746). a. Second pleopod. b. Telson and uropod, dorsal. female (cl 3.6 mm) (MBM 107746). c–d. Major cheliped (left). c. Mesial. d. Chela, lateral. female (cl 4.5 mm) (MBM 107746). e. Frontal region, lateral. Scale bars=1mm.