Polycheles coccifer Galil, 2000

Ahyong, Shane T. & Chan, Tin-Yam, 2004, Polychelid Lobsters Of Taiwan (Decapoda: Polychelidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (1), pp. 171-182 : 176

Polycheles coccifer Galil, 2000

( Figs. 1G, H, 4E )

Polycheles coccifer Galil, 2000: 292 , 320-322, Fig. 15 [type locality: Philippines, 11º59’N, 121º13’E].

Polycheles baccatus - Chan & Yu, 1989: 168, pl. 1 figs. c-d; 1993: 109 [not P. baccatus Bate, 1878 ].

Material examined. – Tai-Shi fishing port, I-Lan County, NE Taiwan: 1 female (cl. 44.9 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 28

Sep. 1987; 1 male (cl. 33.5 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 5 Mar.1993 ; 1 male (cl. 34.1 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 10 Jun.1993 ; 1 female (cl. 29.7 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 25 Nov.1994 ; 1 male (cl. 21.2 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 20 May.1997 ; 1 female (cl. 32.0 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 3 Oct.1997 . Nangfangao fishing port, I-Lan County, NE Taiwan: 1 ovigerous female (cl. 30.6 mm), ( NTOU), 2 May.1985 ; 1 male (cl. 29.6 mm), ( ZRC 2001.0144 , part), commercial trawler, coll. P. Ng et al., 28 May.1997 . Tong-Kang fishing port, Ping Tong County, SW Taiwan: 1 ovigerous female (cl. 38.6 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, 25 Feb.1995 ; 1 ovigerous female (cl. 46.9 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, coll. S. H. Wu, Dec.1998 . SW Taiwan : 1 male (cl. 34.4 mm), ( NTOU), 22 24.06’N, 120 13.03’E, 300 m, TAIWAN 2002 CP165, 26 May.2002 . Taiwan , no specific locality: 1 female (cl. 33.9 mm), ( NTOU), commercial trawler, coll. S. H. Wu, Nov.2001 .

Remarks. – Galil (2000) showed that previous records of P. baccatus from Taiwan are based on an undescribed species that she named P. coccifer . Polycheles coccifer differs from P. baccatus chiefly by the lower number of lateral carapace spines in the anterior division: 6-8 vs 10-12. The present specimens of P. coccifer agree closely with the type description but exhibit a greater range in the lateral carapace spination – 7-8:3-5:14-28 compared to 6-7:4-6:20-23 ( Galil, 2000).

Distribution. – Western Pacific Ocean from Taiwan and Japan to the Philippines, Indonesia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu at depths between 155-533 m (perhaps 99-610 m; see Galil (2000)).

Figures

Fig. 4. A, Pentacheles laevis Bate, 1878 (TAIWAN 2000 stn CP 23, female cl. 27 mm). B, Polycheles aculeatus Galil, 2000 (Tai-Shi fishing port, 1 male cl. 34.6 mm). C, Polycheles amemiyai Yokoya, 1933 (Tai-Shi fishing port, ovigerous female cl. 63.4 mm). D, Polycheles auriculatus (Bate, 1878) (TAIWAN 2000 stn CP 61, male cl. 15.0 mm). E. Polycheles coccifer Galil, 2000 (Tai-Shi fishing port, male cl. 33.5 mm). F, Polycheles galil Ahyong & Brown, 2002 (TAIWAN 2001 stn CD 138, male cl. 41.7 mm). G, Polycheles helleri Bate, 1878 (TAIWAN 2001 stn CP 125, ovigerous female cl. 50.0 mm). H, Polycheles typhlops Heller, 1862 (Tai-Shi fishing port, ovigerous female cl. 54.3 mm).