Parilia major Sakai, 1961

(Figs. 1B, 2B, 3B, 4C, D, 5D, E, 6B, 7C, D, 8 E–I, 9C, D)

Parilia major Sakai, 1961: 137, pl. 3 fig. 5; Sakai, 1976: 105, pl. 31 fig. 1 (Japan); Chen, 1989: 233, text fig. 24, pl. II, 1 (Philippines); Chen, 1990: 180, pl. 3E; Takeda, 1993; Tan, 1996: 1046, fig. 7f–k; Ikeda, 1998: 86, 87 (Japan); Jeng et al., 1998: 121; Tan et al., 2000: 143, fig. 1d; Ng et al., 2001: 9 (Taiwan); Chen & Sun, 2002: 365, text fig. 162, pl. III–3; Ng et al., 2008: 92; Galil, 2007: 560; Galil & Ng, 2007: 87 (Philippines); Galil, 2015: 4; Galil & Ng, 2015: 460, fig. 4B; Prema et al., 2018: figs. 3, 4D, F, 5H–K.

Material examined. 1 male, 2 females (ZRC 2001.50), Su-Ao Port, Nangfangao, northeastern Taiwan, coll. P.K.L. Ng, 5 November 2000 ; 1 male, 3 females (ZRC 2017.217), station PN1, Balicasag, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, coll. P.K.L. Ng from fishermen, June 2004 ; 7 males (largest 70.0 × 69.0 mm), 4 females (largest 48.3 × 49.2 mm), 2 ovigerous females (ZRC 2001.552), Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, coll. fishermen, 28 November 2001 ; 10 males, 5 females (ZRC 2017.218), Maribojoc Bay, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, coll. J. Arbasto, November 2003 – April 2004 . For additional material from Philippines and Papua New Guinea, see Galil & Ng (2007, 2015) .

Diagnosis. Carapace globose (Figs. 1B, 2B, 3B); dorsal surface appears almost smooth or with very low granules (Fig. 3B); branchial regions not distinctly swollen laterally and dorsally, lateral margin of carapace smooth (Fig. 3B); dome-shape in frontal view (Fig. 4C); frontal region protruding anteriorly with buccal cavity and third maxillipeds not visible in dorsal view, frontal lobes distinctly triangular (Fig. 3B); outer surface of third maxillipeds almost smooth or with low, flattened granules (Figs. 4C, D, 5D, E); exopod of third maxilliped in adult broad but not foliaceous (Fig. 5D, E); surfaces of ambulatory legs and chelipeds completely smooth (Figs. 1B, 2B, 6B); G1 very elongate, distal part slightly flared, subdistal lateral projection dorso-ventrally flattened (Fig. 8 E–H); female sternopleonal cavity without projection between vulvae (Fig. 9D). Western Pacific.

Remarks. Sakai (1961) described the species from three male and two female specimens from Tosa Bay in Japan. The depository for this material was not specified and it is not known where they are now (see remarks for Neparilia tuberculata below). The species, however, is very distinct and there is now no doubt about its identity. Uncertainties about the presence of P. major in the Indian Ocean by Sakai (1961) and Tirmizi & Serène (1971) are clarified in this paper with the discovery that this material actually belongs to a new species, P. pattersoni (see remarks for this species below).

Distribution. Has been reported from Japan and the East China Sea (Sakai, 1961, 1976; Takeda, 1993; Ikeda, 1998; Marumura & Kosaka, 2003), mainland China (Chen & Sun, 2002), Taiwan (Tan et al., 2000; Ng et al., 2001; Chen & Sun, 2002), Philippines (Chen, 1989; Tan, 1996; Galil & Ng, 2007) to Makassar (Indonesia) (Chen, 1990) Papua New Guinea (Galil & Ng, 2015) and Solomon Islands (Galil, 2007). The species occurs at depths between 100–457 m (Alcock, 1899; Chen, 1989; Galil, 2015).