Polycheles helleri Bate, 1878

Ahyong, Shane T. & Chan, Tin-Yam, 2004, Polychelid Lobsters Of Taiwan (Decapoda: Polychelidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (1), pp. 171-182 : 179

Polycheles helleri Bate, 1878

( Figs. 3H, I, 4G )

Polycheles helleri Bate, 1878: 277 [type locality: N of New Guinea, 2º33’S, 144º04’E, by lectotype selection (Ahyong & Brown, 2002)]; Galil, 2000: 327-329, Fig. 18.

Material examined. – NE Taiwan: 1 male (cl. 23.0 mm), ( NTOU), 24º15.7’N, 122º11.6’E, 2947- 2903 m , TAIWAN 2000 CP53, 3 Aug.2000; 1 ovigerous female (cl. 50.0 mm), ( NTOU); 1 male (cl. 20.1 mm), 3 females (cl. 19.8-20.7 mm), ( NTOU), 24º25.38’N, 122º12.41’E, 1138-1187 m , TAIWAN 2002 CD199, 12 Sep.2002; 1 male (cl. 19.9 mm), ( NTOU), 24º28.99’N, 122º12.79’E, 500-1183 m , TAIWAN 2003 CD210, 1 Jun.2003. SE Taiwan: 1 female (cl. 30.4 mm), ( NTOU), 22º08.68’N, 121º01.68’E, 1263-1268 m , TAIWAN 2001 CP127, 22 Aug.2001; 1 male (cl. 21.2 mm), 1 female (cl. 20.7 mm), ( NTOU), 22 19.15’N, 121 4.63’E, 1171-1212 m , TAIWAN 2003 CD 226, 29 Aug.2003; 1 female (cl. 28.5 mm), ( NTOU), 22 8.7’N, 121 0.97’E, 1259-1383 m , TAIWAN 2003 CD 228, 30 Aug.2003. SW Taiwan: 1 ovigerous female (cl. 50.0 mm), ( NTOU), 22º6.95’N, 120º02.35’E, 1274- 1218 m , sticky mud, TAIWAN 2001 CP125, 21 Aug.2001; 1 male (cl. 23.1 mm), ( NTOU), 22º00.54’N, 119º27.94’E, 2334-2543 m , TAIWAN 2002 CP185, 26 Aug.2002; 1 female (cl. 20.3 mm), ( NTOU), 21º39.91’N, 118º20.94’E, 1649- 1629 m , TAIWAN 2002 CP189, 27 Aug.2002 .

Remarks. – The present series includes the largest known specimen of P. helleri , having a carapace length of 50 mm and agrees well with those reported by Galil (2000). The lateral carapace spination of the present specimens, 5-6:3- 4:6-10, encompasses that reported by Galil (2000).

The colour-in-life of P. helleri resembles P. galil : the carapace and abdomen are pale pink and the uropods and pereopods are a darker, reddish pink. The eggs of P. helleri are bright orange but no ovigerous female of P. galil has yet been recorded from Taiwan. Polycheles helleri , however, differs from P. galil by having two instead of one spine on the outer margin of the basal antennular segment, unarmed instead of armed inner and outer angles of the dorsal orbital sinus, and a smooth instead of spinous branchial region. The Taiwanese specimens were collected at depths between 1138 and 2947 m.

Distribution. – Western Indian Ocean to Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Japan and now from Taiwan; 787 m ( Galil, 2000)- 2947 m (present record).

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).