Cardisoma urvillei H. Milne Edwards, 1853

(Fig. 2A)

Cardisoma Urvillei H. Milne Edwards, 1853: 170 [204].

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Junior subjective synonym of Cardisoma carnifex (Herbst, 1796) (see Türkay 1974a: 969).

LECTOTYPE (by inference of holotype by Türkay 1974a: 969). — MNHN-IU-2000-3735 (= MNHN-B3735), ♂ 72.8 × 88.1 mm, Samoa, ‘Astrolabe’ Exp., presumed Type, D. Guinot 1972. — Original label: “ Cardisoma urvillei Edw., ♂, C. obesum Dana ?, Samoa, Exp. de l’ ‘ Astrolabe’ ”; on the right chela: “ C. urvillei, Samoa ”. — Additional label: “ Type présumé, D. Guinot 1972”.

PRESERVATION. — Dry. Carapace with a crack on right gastric/ cardiac region; RP2, RP3 missing.

REMARKS

Türkay (1974a: 969, 973) considered the specimen MNHN-IU-2000-3735 (= MNHN-B3735) the only type specimen and regarded it as the holotype. Henri Milne Edwards (1853) mentioned that the chelae changed according to the age, a sentence suggesting that several individuals had been seen and the description not based on a unique specimen. Since the original description was based on more than one specimen, a holotype could not be assumed. By inference that the specimen was a holotype, Türkay (1974a) can be deemed to have designated that specimen as the lectotype (Code, Art. 74.6). The Astrolabe Expedition (1826-1829) directed by Dumont d’Urville visited Samoa: in the CAA, 1829 is the entry date for material collected during this exploration by “Quoy & Gaimard” (see Appendix).

The holotype of Cardisoma obesum Dana, 1851, another junior subjective synonym of C. carnifex, was recently discovered in the USNM (USNM 2356). This dried holotype now consists of only the carapace and a part of the cephalothorax only, so its sex cannot be determined (Ng 2017: 5, figs 4, 5).