Calliaxiopsis madagassa, Sakai & Turkay, 2014, Sakai & Turkay, 2014

Poore, Gary C. B. & Dworschak, Peter C., 2017, Family, generic and species synonymies of recently published taxa of ghost shrimps (Decapoda, Axiidea, Eucalliacidae and Ctenochelidae): cautionary tales, Zootaxa 4294 (1), pp. 119-125 : 120

Calliaxina madagassa ( Sakai & Türkay, 2014)

( Fig. 1 )

Calliaxiopsis madagassa Sakai & Türkay, 2014: 134 (liSt), 193, fig. 13. Calliaxinopsis madagassa Sakai & Türkay, 2014: 196 (miSSpelling) Calliaxina thomassini NgOc-HO, 2014: 549, fig. 2. Syn. nov.

Material examined. Holotype: labelled “ ZMB 17115 \ Calliaxina madagasa [sic] K. Sakai \ Madagaskar \ det. K. Sakai ”, male TL 22.0 CL 5.3.

Remarks. Sakai & Türkay (2014) erected a new genus for the newly described Calliaxiopsis madagassa from Madagascar. Careful examination of the holotype led to the conclusion that the reported unusual characters are artefacts and that the genus Calliaxiopsis Sakai & Türkay, 2014 is synonymous with Calliaxina Ngoc-Ho, 2003. The type species, Calliaxiopsis madagassa is identical to Calliaxina thomassini Ngoc-Ho, 2014, the latter a junior synonym of the former.

According to Sakai & Türkay (2014: 192–193): “The present new genus Calliaxiopsis gen. nov. is similar to Calliaxina in bearing no dorsal oval, but differs, because in Calliaxiopsis gen. nov. (1) the male Plp2 exopod bears a distal flap (vs. no distal flap in Calliaxina); and (2) the telson bears a median convexity posteriorly (vs. no median convexity posteriorly in Calliaxina).”

The holotype is a shriveled specimen, the major first pereopod (cheliped) is detached and the minor cheliped and pereopods 3 and 4 are missing ( Fig. 1 A). The cornea lies distally on the eyestalk ( Fig. 1 B), not “medially” as stated in the description. Plp1 is uniramous, consists of two articles, and is much longer than figured by Sakai & Türkay (2014: fig. 13G) ( Fig. 1 C, D). The “flap” on the Plp2 exopod is nothing but an artefact of folds, present only on the left side ( Fig. 1 E, F). In the right Plp2, the exopod is unfolded ( Fig. 1 G) and straight as in other species of Eucalliacidae. The situation of the appendix masculina and appendix interna is impossible to judge in situ, both endopods are folded longitudinally and everything glued together (obviously once dried). The convexity on the telson is apparently also an artefact due to a fold at the left posterior edge ( Fig. 1 H).

There is no justification for the genus Calliaxiopsis . It shows the same characters as Calliaxina [sensu Ngoc- Ho (2003) and Sakai (2011)]. The type species, Calliaxiopsis madagassa shows the same characters as another species described in detail, also from Madagascar, Calliaxina thomassini Ngoc-Ho, 2014. Sakai & Türkay (2014) has priority (19 March) over Ngoc-Ho (26 September 2014) and the latter becomes a subjective junior synonym of the former.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Calliaxina madagassa (Sakai & Türkay, 2014). HOlOtype Of Calliaxiopsis madagassa Sakai & Türkay, 2014: A, habituS, lateral view; B, frOnt, dOrSOlateral view; C, left and right pleOpOdS 1, ventrOlateral view; D, left pleOpOd 1, lateral view; E, left pleOpOd 2, lateral view; F, left pleOpOd 2, pOSteriOr view; G, right pleOpOd 2, lateral view; H, telSOn, dOrSal view. Scale applieS tO A Only.