Carcinoplax confragosa Rathbun, 1914

Castro, Peter, 2007, A reappraisal of the family Goneplacidae MacLeay, 1838 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) and revision of the subfamily Goneplacinae, with the description of 10 new genera and 18 new species, Zoosystema 29 (4), pp. 609-774 : 630

Carcinoplax confragosa Rathbun, 1914

Carcinoplax confragosa Rathbun, 1914: 140 [Philippine Is]. — Tesch 1918: 154 [in list]. — Estampador 1937: 533 [in list]; 1959: 89 [in list] [Philippine Is]. — Serène 1968: 90 [in list]. — Sakai 1969: 271 [in list], fig. 15e [holotype]. — Guinot 1989: 289 [discussion], figs 17, 29, pl. 6, figs A, B, B1, C-E [Philippine Is, Indonesia].

Not Carcinoplax confragosa – Zarenkov 1972: 241, fig. 7-1 (= Carcinoplax indica Doflein, 1904 ).

Not Carcinoplax confragosa – Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: 62 [in list], 64 [in key], 67, figs 174, 175, pl. 16, fig. A (? = Xanthidae ).

Carcinoplax aff. tomentosa – Serène & Vadon 1981: 119, 123, 126 [Philippine Is] (not Carcinoplax tomentosa Sakai, 1969 ).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Albatross, stn 5420, ♀ holotype, cl 38.3 mm, cw 44.9 mm ( USNM 46153).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Philippine Islands, between Cebu and Bohol, 09°49’N, 123°45’E, 232 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Philippine Islands. Between Cebu and Bohol, Albatross, stn 5420, 09°49’N, 123°45’E, 232 m, 25.III.1909, ♀ holotype ( USNM 46153).

South China Sea, MUSORSTOM 1, stn CP 51, 13°49’N,

120°04’E, 170-200 m, 25.III.1976, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( MNHN-B 10069).

DISTRIBUTION. — Philippine Is and Indonesia (Makassar Strait) (see Guinot 1989). Depth: 170- 232 m.

REMARKS

Unique among the species of Carcinoplax is the presence of a front that has a slight median notch (see Guinot 1989: fig. 17). Also characteristic is the presence of thick granules on the dorsal surface of the chelipeds (P1) and carapace, particularly the anterior and anterolateral margins. The granules, however, become less noticeable with size although they remain visible along the anterior margin.

The morphology of the G1 also departs slightly from the typical G1 of Carcinoplax , the tip being elongated and slender (see Guinot 1989: fig. 29).

The Vietnam material identified as C. confragosa by Zarenkov (1972: 241, fig. 7-1) clearly does not belong to this species. As previously noted by Guinot (1989: 91), there are clear differences between the three acute anterolateral teeth, which are directed outwards in the Vietnam specimen (shorter, blunt tip, directed anteriorly in C. confragosa ), the slen- der and acute teeth of the P1 (shorter, blunt in C. confragosa ), the complete front (with a median notch in C. confragosa ), and the broad tip of the G1 of Zarenkov’s specimen (pointed and slender in C. confragosa ). All of these characters are diagnostic of C. indica Doflein, 1904 .

A female from the South China Sea identified by Serène & Lohavanijaya (1973: 67, figs 174, 175, pl. 16, fig. A) as C. confragosa does not belong to this species. It is perhaps an unidentified xanthid ( Guinot 1989: 291).