Anoplodactylus viridintestinalis ( Cole, 1904 )

León-Espinosa, Angel De, León-Gonzalez, Jesus Angel De & Gómez-Gutiérrez, Jaime, 2021, Pycnogonids from marine docks located along the west coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico, Zootaxa 4938 (2), pp. 151-195 : 187-190

Anoplodactylus viridintestinalis ( Cole, 1904)

( Figs . 21 A–E; 22 A–J )

Halosoma viridintestinalis Cole, 1904: 286–288 , pl. 14: fig. 11, pl. 24: figs. 6–8, pl. 25, figs. 1–4.

Anoplodactylus viridintestinalis Stock, 1955: 239 ; Child, 1979: 63.

Anoplodactylus compactus ( Hilton, 1939)

Endeis compacta Hilton, 1942a

Phoxichilidium compactum Hilton, 1939

Material examined: 19 specimens: 18³, 1 j (UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0082), Puerto Escondido Marine, Loreto, Baja California Sur, 25°48´52´´N, - 111°18´40´´W, 12/01/2013 ( Fig. 1 ) .

Description. Trunk cylindrical, widening towards the front, with four trunk segments. ( Fig. 21 A–B). Lateral processes with a dorso-distal tubercle. First pair of lateral processes separated from the second pair by more than its own diameter. Second pair of lateral processes separated from the third by its own diameter and third pair separated from the fourth by less than ¼ of its own diameter ( Fig. 21 A–B). Ocular tubercle conical, located at the anterior end of the cephalic segment, with four eyes, two located anteriorly and two posteriorly ( Fig. 21 A–B, Fig. 22 A, C, F ). Cylindrical abdomen, with small spines scattered on its surface, with an inclination of 70° ( Fig. 21 B , Fig. 22 J ). Proboscis cylindrical, 2.5 times longer than wide, with a declination of 30° ( Fig. 21 B , Fig. 22 A ); lips of the mouth with broad edges, with a dense series of setae and a group of ten thin and long setae on both margins of the upper lip ( Fig. 22 B ). Rudimentary palps with one article ( Fig. 22 E ).

Chelifore with three articles. Scape, one-segmented, extends slightly beyond the proboscis, widens distally with a wide external curvature, with a proximal-ventral seta, two ventro-distal setae, a latero-proximal seta, a mid-lateral seta and three latero-distal setae. Chela well developed, without teeth, with four mid-dorsal setae, two setae on the fixed finger and three mid-ventral setae on the mobile finger ( Fig. 21 B–C, Fig. 22 C–E).

Slender legs, Coxa 1 small, semi-circular, glabrous. Coxa 2 with a small gonopore on ventral surface ( Fig. 22 I ), a mid-ventral seta and two ventro-distal setae. Coxa 3 with a mid-ventral seta and a ventro-distal seta. Femur, tibia 1, and tibia 2 equidistant in length, longest articles. Tibia 1 with two mid-ventral setae and two distal setae. Tibia 2, slightly smaller than tibia 1, with two ventral setae in the first third, two ventral setae in the third and two ventro-distal setae; with a mid-dorsal seta and a dorsal-distal seta. Femur with a mid-lateral seta, a mid-ventral seta, a latero-distal one and a dorso-distal seta, a dorso-distal cement gland is present. Tarsus with a mid-ventral setae, four ventro-distal setae and a mid-dorsal seta. Propodus arched, with a row of five dorsal setae, a row of six small setae on lateral surface, and a latero-anterior seta. Heel with a thick spine, two pairs of smaller spines and a thin seta; sole with two rows of ten ventral sole spines each, directed towards the distal end. Main claw ¾ the size of the propodus, with a pair of minute auxiliary claws ( Fig. 21 D–E; Fig. 22 H ).

Measurements of the illustrated specimen (mm). Trunk length 2.02 from the anterior limit of the cephalic segment to the limit of the fourth lateral process, 1.2 wide between the second pair of lateral processes; proboscis length 0.98 long, 0.48 wide.

Third leg: Coxa 1, 0.28 mm; coxa 2, 0.42 mm; coxa 3, 0.37 mm; femur, 1.16 mm; tibia 1, 1.16 mm; tibia 2, 1.16 mm; tarsus, 0.14 mm; propodus, 0.79 mm; claw, 0.46 mm.

Distribution. First described from Dillon Beach, Marin County, California, USA ( Cole, 1904). Child (1979) extended its known distribution range to the Pacific coast of Panama. The present record at Puerto Escondido is about 2,600 km far from the closest previous report at Dillon Beach, USA.

Remarks. The specimens of A. viridintestinalis collected in the present study are similar to the holotype described by Cole (1904) from California. However, they have several morphological variations in the spination of the chelae. Cole (1904) reports specimens with glabrous chela, while specimens from the Gulf of California have groups of setae on both chela fingers. Another difference is that the number of setae on the legs is greater in the specimens reviewed in this study compared to the holotype. Setae arrangement of the heel and sole of propodus are similar in specimens from these distant locations.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Area of study showing the nine marine docks located along the peninsular coast of the Gulf of California, Mexico. 1 = Cabo San Lucas; 2 = Puerto Los Cabos; 3 = FONATUR-Fidepaz; 4 = La Paz; 5 = Fiscal Pier, 6 = Palmira, 7 = Cantamar; 8 = Puerto Escondido (located about 50 km south of Loreto), and 9 = FONATUR-Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico. A magnification of the map shown marine docks 3–7 located at Bahía de La Paz.

FIGURE 21. Anoplodactylus viridintestinalis, UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0082, mature male:A, trunk, dorsal view; B, trunk, lateral view; C, chela, enlarged; D, third leg; E, tarsus, propodus, and claw, enlarged. Scale bars: D = 1 mm; A–B = 0.5 mm; C, E = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 22. Anoplodactylus viridintestinalis, UANL-FCB-PYCNO-0082, immature male: A, cephalon, lateral view; B, proboscis, showing mouth, frontal view; C, cephalon, frontal view; D, chelae, enlarged; E, cephalon, ventral view; F, complete specimen, lateral view; G, third leg; H, tarsus, propodus, and claw, enlarged; I, coxa 2, showing gonopore; J, abdomen, lateral view; Scale bars: F = 2 mm; G = 1 mm; A, C, E, J = 0.5 mm; H = 0.3 mm; D, I = 0.2 mm; B = 0.1 mm.