Alima hieroglyphica ( Kemp, 1911 )

Ahyong, Shane T., 2002, Stomatopoda (Crustacea) from the Marquesas Islands: results of MUSORSTOM 9, Zoosystema 24 (2), pp. 347-372 : 361-362

Alima hieroglyphica ( Kemp, 1911)

Squilla hieroglyphica Kemp, 1911: 96 ; 1913: 51, pl. 3, figs 38-41. Type locality: coast of India .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Nuku Hiva, stn DW1184, 8°49.3’S, 140°03.6’W, 23-30 m, 26.VIII.1997, 1 tl 28 ( MNHN). — Stn CP1187, 8°49.2’S, 140°03.5’W, 25-30 m, 26.VIII.1997, 1 tl 27 ( MNHN). — Hiva Oa, stn DW1213, 9°50.3’S, 140°03.2’W, 18-20 m, 29.VIII.1997, 3 tl 29- 30, 1 broken cl 5.8 ( MNHN). — Ua Huka, stn 24, Haahue Bay, NW coast, 8°53.60’S, 139°37.00’W, fine sand with some silt, 9-15 m, X.1997, 3 postlarvae tl 18-19, 5 postlarvae tl 18-19 ( MNHN). — Stn 32, Hiniaehi Bay, S coast Ua Huka, 8°56.10’S, 139°32.70’W, fine sand, gravel and algae, 12-17 m, X.1997, 1 tl 25, 1 postlarva tl 18, 2 postlarvae tl 18 ( MNHN).

MEASUREMENTS. — Male (n = 5) tl 18-28, female (n = 9) tl 18-30, male postlarvae (n = 4) tl 18-19, female postlarvae (n = 7) tl 18-19.

DISTRIBUTION. — Indo-West Pacific from India to French Polynesia. A new record for the Marquesas.

REMARKS

Manning (1969) regarded A. hieroglyphica , described from India, as a senior synonym of the western Atlantic A. hildebrandi (Schmitt, 1940) and the eastern Atlantic A. labadiensis (Ingle, 1960) . Ahyong (2001), however, showed that the Pacific and Atlantic forms are distinct and recog- nised A. hieroglyphica for the Pacific form and A. hildebrandi for the Atlantic form.

The specimens agree well with Kemp (1911, 1913). The colour pattern in most specimens in the present series, including postlarvae, is well preserved including the distinctive elongate triangular patch with a transverse proximal bar either side of the median carina of the telson. All specimens bear five teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw and abdominal carinae are spined as follows: SM 5-6, 4-6, IM (3)4-6, LT 6, MG (1)2-5. The postlarvae closely resemble adults, differing in bearing relatively larger eyes, lacking anterolateral spines on the carapace and bearing fewer spines on the lateral and marginal carinae on the abdomen.