Sphaerodromia lamellata Crosnier, 1994

Guinot, Danièle & Quenette, Gwenaël, 2005, The spermatheca in podotreme crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Podotremata) and its phylogenetic implications, Zoosystema 27 (2), pp. 267-342 : 298

Sphaerodromia lamellata Crosnier, 1994

Ovigerous female 3 6.4 × 3 6.2 mm, New Caledonia, Norfolk Ridge, stn CP 813 (MNHN- B 28389).

The suture 7/8 is extremely short, so that the spermathecal aperture lies posteriorly and is completely exposed; the opening is tiny. The bulb of the spermatheca is very developed, inflated and well calcified in the posterior corner and membranous in its anterior part, which contains sperm mass. The chamber is not large, its two sheets being nearly adjoined and without a marked space between, and does not contain any sperm; the inner wall is soft. The tube is absent, which corresponds to the shortness of suture 7/8. As a result, the chamber itself directly ends on the exterior. The skeleton shows two transverse bridges ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIG. 17. — Sphaerodromia lamellata Crosnier, 1994, ovigerous female 36.4 × 36.2 mm, New Caledonia, Norfolk Ridge (MNHN- B 28389). See Guinot & Tavares (2003: fig. 21C as S. ducoussoi McLay, 1991) for the peculiar location of the spermathecae; A, axial skeleton, with connections by fusion; B, detailed view of posterior part. Abbreviations: br1, anterior transverse bridge; br2, posterior transverse bridge; cx3, P3 coxae; i.p., intertagmal phragma. Scale bar: A, 1 cm.