Lyphira perplexa, Galil, 2009

Galil, Bella S., 2009, An examination of the genus Philyra Leach, 1817 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Leucosiidae) with descriptions of seven new genera and six new species, Zoosystema 31 (2), pp. 279-320 : 303-305

Lyphira perplexa n. sp.

( Figs 12C ; 17 )

Cancer globus Fabricius, 1775: 401 (p.p.).

Cancer anatum Herbst, 1783: 93 , pl. 2, fig. 19 (p.p.).

Cancer globosus Fabricius, 1787: 315 ; 1793: 441 (p.p.).

Leucosia globosa Fabricius, 1798: 349 (p.p.).

Philyra globosa – de Man 1888: 203 (p.p.).

Philyra globulosa – Alcock 1896: 245. — Chopra 1934: 38. — Stephensen 1945: 77, figs 10, 11a-l. — Tirmizi & Kazmi 1988: 98, fig. 28. — Deb 1998: 358.

Philyra globus – Tan 1995: 475, fig. 3a, c.

Philyra heterograna – K. Sakai 1999: 18, pl. 7c.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: India. Malabar , coll. Dr J. G. Koenig, 1 ♂ cl 29.4 mm ( ZMK CRU3996 ), id. J. C. Fabricius as Cancer globus [labelled as Syntype 1].

Paratypes: India. Madras, coll. J. R. Henderson, 2 ♂♂ cl 26.4, 28.3 mm, 18 ovig. ♀♀ cl 19.4-23.8 mm, 4 ♀♀ cl 20.7-22.2 mm (NHM 1892.7.15.358-67).

Indian Ocean. Exp. La Bonite, coll. F. Eydoux, 1 ♂ cl 19.2 mm, 1 ♀ cl 20.9 mm ( MNHN 4146). — Exp. La Bonite, coll. M. C. Gaudichaud, 1 ♂ cl 18.2 mm ( MNHN 204).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Persian Gulf. Boushir Is., 13 m, 11.III.1937, coll. G. Thorson, 1 ♂ cl 16.8 mm ( ZMK CRU 4246). — Kharg I., 25-30 m, 4.III.1937, coll. G. Thorson, 1 ♂ cl 13.5 mm ( ZMK CRU 4247). — Boushir Is., 7 m, 18.III.1937, coll. G. Thorson, 2 juvs, ( ZMK CRU 4248). — Boushir I., 7.5 m, 23.III.1937, coll. G. Thorson, 1 juv. ( ZMK CRU 4250).

Kuwait. 29°11’N, 48°29’E, 29.III.1972, coll. H. Motoh, 5 ♂♂ cl 16.4-24.5 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 17.9 mm cl, 1 ♀ cl 14.2 mm ( NSMT 4475). — Khoral Sabiya, X.1982, 1 ♂ cl 10.2 mm (NHM 1999.2).

Pakistan. Karachi, 1 ♂ juv. cl 14.6 mm, 1 ovig. ♀ cl 17.3 mm (NHM 1906.5.29.71-72).

India. Ganges Delta, ex. Indian Museum, 3 ♂♂ cl 27.0- 27.8 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 20.0-22.0 mm ( USNM 42756). — Madras, 3.II.1979, 1 ♂ cl 27.9 mm ( USNM 337607). — Tranquebar, 16-24.III.2001, colls N. K. Ng & A. S. Fernando, 4 ♂♂ cl 25.7-27.2 mm, 2 ovig. ♀♀ cl 21.6-22.1 mm, 1 ♀ cl 21.8 mm ( ZRC 2001.0904).

ETYMOLOGY. — From Latin, perplexus, puzzling – for the confused history of the species.

DISTRIBUTION. — Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, India, Anadaman Is.

DESCRIPTION

Dorsal surface of carapace bearing closely-spaced granules, hepatic, branchial and intestinal regions bear slightly larger, perliform granules; intestinal region slightly tumescent. Frontal margin minutely granulate. Circumference of carapace behind front irregularly beaded, granules variable in size. Anterior margin of epistome medially notched, emargination bound by prominent inner angles of afferent branchial canals. External maxillipeds minutely granulate, exognath paddle-shaped. Pterygostomian region prominently granulate. Anterolateral margin sinuous, posterolateral margin arcuate. Thoracic sternites prominently granulate. Anterior margin of abdominal sulcus in both male and female specimens prominently granulate.Fused male abdominal segments 2-6 bearing granulate basal knobs separated by concavity. Margins of fused abdominal segments in female granulate, prominently granulate areas basally. Cheliped merus granulate; most prominent granules basally on anterior and posterior surfaces, and on dorsal surface, decreasing in size distally. Carpus with row of granules on inner margin; patch of minute granules distally on upper margin. Upper and lower surfaces of propodus, as well as lower inner surface bearing conical granules. Fingers fluted, granulate, granulation most prominent proximally on outer margins; inner margin of pollex bearing triangular dentiform tubercle proximally.Granulation in female specimens less prominent. Merus of first pereiopod bearing line of perliform granules ventrally; meri of pereiopods 2-4 bear elongate patch of minute granules along ventral margin; carpi and propodi smooth. Male first pleopod with apical process flattened, squat, distally rounded.

Colour

“Grayish fawn with bluish tinge.” ( Tirmizi & Kazmi 1988: 100).

REMARKS

Fabricius’ (1775) male syntype of Cancer globus differs from the female syntype, and has been long recognized as a different species. Herbst (1783) described and illustrated the species as Cancer anatum , after Rumphius’ (1705: pl. 10 fig. A) “ Cancellus Anatum Primus ”. However, Rumphius’ drawing depicts a species conspicuously different from Herbst’ actual specimen (Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Herbst 0686-1). Alcock (1896) synonymized (with doubt) C. anatum Herbst, 1783 with P. globulosa H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (pl.24, fig. 4), when in fact the species depicted is L. heterograna n. comb. (see above). In any case, Holthuis (1959: 107) proposed Rumphius’ (1705) drawing as “the holotype of Cancer anatum Herbst (1783) , so that the name of the species is Leucosia anatum ”.

Many authors followed Alcock (1896: 245) who thought the male syntype “appears to be the species named by Milne Edwards – and named probably with foresight – P. globulosa ”. However, Holthuis (1962) who chose the female specimen as the lectotype of Cancer globus Fabricius, 1775 , proposed C. globosus Fabricius, 1787 (and therefore also globulosa ) as its subjective synonym (see above).

In the interests of resolving confused identities and stabilizing the nomenclature I hereby designate the male specimen identified by Fabricius (1775: 401) as C. globus and deposited at the Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen ( ZMK CRU 3996) as the holotype of Lyphira perplexa n. sp.

Figures

FIG. 12. — A-D, first male pleopod,distal end of first male pleopod;A, Hiplyra sagitta n. sp., ♂ holotype cl 13.9 mm, Persian Gulf (ZMK 4263); B, Lyphira heterograna (Ortmann, 1892) n. comb., ♂ cl 15.1 mm, Indonesia (NHM 1900.10.22.340-45); C, Lyphira perplexa n. sp.,♂ cl 27.9 mm, India (USNM 337607);D, Pyrhila pisum (De Haan,1841) n. comb., ♂ cl 22.6 mm, Japan (USNM 18865);E, Pyrhila carinata (Bell, 1855) n. comb., ♂ cl 13.2 mm, China (NHM 1874.2), first male pleopod, dorsal and ventral views; F, Pyrhila biprotubera (Dai & Guan, 1986) n. comb., ♂ cl 20.5 mm, Vietnam (Chiba Inst. 5841), first male pleopod, distal end of first male pleopod, second male pleopod. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 17. — Lyphira perplexa n. sp., ♂ cl 27.9 mm, India (USNM 337607): A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.