Paguristes puniceus Henderson, 1896

Paguristes puniceus Henderson, 1896: 527 . — McLaughlin 2004: 15, figs 1, 2 (full synonymy).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Madagascar. 12°53.3’S, 48°09.4’E, 480-520 m, 4.III.1971, 1 ♂ (6.7 mm). — 12°52.3’S, 48°10.4’E, 415- 403 m, 4.III.1971, 1 ♂ (3.6 mm); 1 ♀ (3.2 mm). — 15°20.0’S, 46°11.8’E, 245-250 m, 7.XI.1972, 1 ♂ (2.2 mm).

La Réunion. Marion Dufresne, MD 32, stn DC 56, 21°05’S, 55°12’E, 170-225 m, 22.VIII.1982, 1 ♂ (3.9 mm).

DISTRIBUTION. — Bay of Bengal and Travancore coast, India ; Andaman Sea; Indonesia, northern Australia from 150 to 766 m. This is the first record from western Indian Ocean .

REMARKS

The specimens examined agree with the redescription of this species by McLaughlin (2004). Some variation in the morphological characters not mentioned by McLaughlin (2004) were observed. The dorsolateral surfaces of the shields of the specimens from Madagascar have prominent spines. The antennal peduncles have more spines: the second segments of the antennal peduncles each have the dorsodistal angle produced, terminating into two large spines followed by three or four spines on the lateral margin, the dorsomesial distal angle has two prominent spines; the antennal acicles have six or seven spines on the mesial margin, and two to four spines on lateral margin. The chelipeds and the second and third pereopods are more setose.