Epistocavea mururoa Davie, 1993

Mendoza, Jose Christopher E. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2010, The Euxanthine Crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Xanthidae) Of The Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58 (1), pp. 57-74 : 62

Epistocavea mururoa Davie, 1993

( Figs. 1C , 4A, B )

Material examined. – 1 male, 21.5 × 15.5 mm ( ZRC 2001.0657 ), Balicasag Is., 50–500 m, coll. local fishermen with tangle nets, 28 Nov.2001 ; 5 males, 21.4 × 17.4 mm to 31.1 × 22.1 mm, 3 females, 21.3 × 16.4 mm to 26.3 by 18.4 mm (NMCR-27333), Balicasag Is., 50–500 m, coll. local fishermen with tangle nets, Mar.2004; 1 male, 33.2 × 23.5 mm ( ZRC 2008.1371 ), Stn. L 36, 9°36.7'N 123°45.8'E, Looc, Panglao Is., 85–90 m, coll. PANGLAO 2004 Expedition , 21 Jun.2004 ; 1 male, 30.2 × 21.4 mm ( MNHN-B31886 ), Stn. L 40, 9°37.3'N 123°46.5'E, Tangnan, Panglao Is., 100–120 m, coll. PANGLAO 2004 Expedition , 24 Jun.2004 ; 1 male, 15.2 × 11.6 mm, 1 female, 17.1 × 12.9 mm ( ZRC 2008.1372 ), Stn. L 44, 9°30.8'N 123°41.0'E, Balicasag Is., 85–100 m, coll. PANGLAO 2004 Expedition , 03 Jul.2004 ; 1 female, 23.0 × 16.3 mm (MNHN- B31887) , 1 female, 26.1 × 18.9 mm ( ZRC 2008.1373 ), Stn. L 45, 9°36.6'N 123°45.4'E, Bingag, Panglao Is., 80–90 m, coll. PANGLAO 2004 Expedition , 03 Jul.2004 ; 1 female, 25.1 × 17.8 mm ( ZRC 2008.1374 ), Stn. P 2, 9°36.6'N 123°45.4'E, Maribohoc Bay, Bohol Is., 400 m, coll. PANGLAO 2004 Expedition , 30 May 2004 .

Remarks. – The monotypic genus Epistocavea was established for a unique crab, several of which were collected by traps set in deep water (100–240 m) in French Polynesia. The present Philippine specimens agree well with Davie’s (1993) excellent description and illustrations of E. mururoa , and there is no doubt that they are conspecific. It is interesting to note that all the Philippine specimens were collected either by tangle net or by “lumun-lumun” (see Bouchet et al., 2009; Ng et al., 2009, for a description of these methods) and not by any other method employed during the PANGLAO expeditions. This is only the second time that E. mururoa has been reported since it was described. Moreover, the record from the Philippines represents a remarkable range extension by over 9,600 km to the west. The live colouration of adults and juveniles is uniformly dull reddish-orange on the carapace and pereopods, with very small patches of yellow or white especially on the ambulatory legs. Some paler orange forms have been observed as well. The fingers of the chela in both male and female crabs are coloured dark brown throughout their length.

Figures

Fig. 1. Live colouration of euxanthine crabs from the Philippines: A, Cranaothus deforgesi Ng, 1993, male (8.0 × 5.9 mm) (R59, Panglao Is., ZRC 2008.1365); B, Crosnierius carinatus Serène & Vadon, 1981, female (15.6 × 11.8 mm) (CP2737, eastern coast of Luzon, ZRC 2008.1370); C, Epistocavea mururoa Davie, 1993, male (33.2 × 23.5 mm) (L36, Panglao Is., ZRC 2008.1371); D, Euxanthus herdmani Laurie, 1906, male (10.0 by 7.6 mm) (S32, Panglao Is., NMCR-27334); E) Euxanthus huonii (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846), male (31.9 × 21.9 mm) (M17, Panglao Is., ZRC 2008.1376); F, Hepatoporus orientalis (Sakai, 1935) male (8.1 × 6.0 mm) (CP2862, off Batangas coast, ZRC 2008.1379).

Fig. 4. Epistocavea mururoa Davie, 1993, male (33.2 × 23.5 mm) (L36, ZRC 2008.1371): A, dorsal view; B, frontal view; Miersiella haswelli (Miers, 1886), male (7.4 × 5.5 mm) (CP2343, Pamilacan Is., ZRC 2008.1400); C, dorsal view; D, ventral view; Paraxanthodes obtusidens (Sakai, 1965), female (30.1 × 20.3 mm) (Balicasag Is., NMCR-27357); E, dorsal view; F, frontal view; G, Medaeops granulosus (Haswell, 1882), female (12.5 × 9.0 mm) (Iloilo, NMCR-9705); H, Paraxanthodes cumatodes (MacGilchrist, 1905), male (5.7 × 4.1 mm) (T1, Panglao Is., ZRC 2008.1409).