Neocallichirus natalensis ( Barnard, 1947 )

Dworschak, Peter C., 2011, Redescription of Callianassa jousseaumei Nobili, 1904, a junior subjective synonym of Callianassa indica de Man, 1905 with description of a new species of Neocallichirus (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callianassidae), Zootaxa 2746, pp. 1-19 : 9

Neocallichirus natalensis ( Barnard, 1947)

( Figs 5 , 6 I)

Callianassa natalensis Barnard, 1947: 379 ; 1950: 511, fig. 95 f–h; Kensley, 1974: 277 [Type locality: from stomach of Rock Cod, Natal coast]

Neocallichirus indicus . — Sakai 1999: 99, 100, fig. 23c; 2005: 178 (part, holotype of C. natalensis ) (not Neocallichirus indicus = N. jousseaumei )

Neocallichirus natalensis . — Tudge et al., 2000: 144 (list).

Material. NHMW 24900, Indian Ocean, Kenya, Malindi [3°12'11.68"S 40°07'23.02"E], beach, intertidal, coll. August 2008, 1 female (tl 117, cl 24.4).

Size. Total length 100 to 117 mm.

Colour. Transparent; chelipeds white, except for a tint of pink on dorsal face of merus; carapace dorsal oval and cardiac region and antennal peduncles pink; orange hepatopancreas and red ovary shining through tergites of first two abdominal somites; posterior abdominal somites and dorsal faces of tailfan pink.

Commensals. The specimen from Malindi had numerous clausidiid copepods on its body surface (see Fig. 6 I)

Distribution. Natal (type locality), Kenya (this study).

Remarks. Barnard (1950) provided figures of the third maxilliped, major cheliped and tailfan. Sakai (1999: fig. 23c, as N. indicus ) published another figure of the holotype's major cheliped. From the description and figures, N. natalensis differs from N. jousseaumei by 1) the third article of antennular peduncle is as long as the second ( Fig. 5 A, B) (second much shorter than third in N. jousseaumei ); 2) the merus of major P1 is widest at midlength (denticulated blade widest proximally in N. jousseaumei ) and tuberculated proximally at the upper border (smooth in N. jousseaumei ); and 3) the carpus of major P1 is almost as long as the palm ( Fig. 5 D, E) (always shorter in N. jousseaumei ). The ratio plma/calma from fig. 95g in Barnard (1950) is 1.07, from Sakai (1999) 1.03; the specimen from Kenya has a ratio of 1.0 (see Table 1), 4) the carpus of minor P1 is much longer than the palm ( Fig. 5 G) (always shorter than palm in N. jousseaumei ) and 5) dactylus and fixed fingers of the minor cheliped are longer than the palm ( Fig. 5 G, H) (always much shorter in N. jousseaumei ) ( N. jousseaumei Panglao 1.33–2.3, mean: 1.8). The specimen from Malindi differs also from all N. jousseaumei studied by having the third pereopod propodus slightly heeled (compare Fig. 5 I with Figs 1 I, 2I, 3O).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neocallichirus jousseaumei (Nobili, 1904), lectotype of Callianassa jousseaumei Nobili, 1904, MNHN Th 83, male (tl 57, cl 15.4, telson damaged): A, front in dorsal view; B, front in lateral view; C, third maxilliped in lateral view (setae omitted); major cheliped in lateral (D) and mesial (E) view; F, minor cheliped in lateral view (in situ); G, propodus and dactylus of minor cheliped in mesial view; H, second pereopod (setae omitted); I, third pereopod (setae omitted); J, fourth pereopod (setae omitted); K, fifth pereopod (setae omitted); L, first left pleopod in lateral view; M, second left pleopod in anterior view; N, same, detail of endopod. Scale is 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Neocallichirus natalensis (Barnard, 1947), NHMW 24900, female (tl 117, cl 24.4). Front in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) aspect; C, left third maxilliped (in situ); major cheliped in lateral (D) and mesial (E) view; F, same, with fingers opened; G, minor cheliped, lateral view; H, same, propodus and dactylus in mesial view; I, right third pereopod (in situ); J, sternites 6 to 8, ventral view; K, sixth abdominal somite and telson, dorsal view; L, right uropod, dorsal view; first (M) and second (N) pleopod, posterior view; O, same, detail of appendix interna. All setae omitted except in D – H. Scale is 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Neocallichirus jousseaumei (Nobili, 1904). Habitats: Alona Beach on Panglao, the Philippines at low tide (A); in Thailand, Leam Pakarang (B) and Sunset Beach (C); D, detail of sediment surface with burrow openings (diameter of sieve 20 cm); E, detail of one burrow opening with faecal pellets; F, male specimen NHMW 21956, (tl 42 cl 12.2) from Sunset Beach; female specimen NHMW 21942 (tl 74 cl 21.3) in dorsal (G) and lateral (H) view from Alona Beach (Photos: Tin-Yam Chan and Chia-Wei Lin). I, Neocallichirus natalensis (Barnard, 1947), female specimen NHMW 24900; major cheliped detached. Note associated red copepods on body surface in G – I. Scale is 1 cm.