Praedatrypaea praedatrix (De Man, 1905 )

Poore, Gary C. B., 2023, New records, one new genus and 21 new species of Callianassidae (Crustacea, Axiidea) from the Indo-West Pacific, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 82, pp. 167-255 : 219

Praedatrypaea praedatrix (De Man, 1905)

Figure 35

Callianassa praedatrix De Man, 1905: 607–608 .— Ngoc-Ho, 1994: fig. 2a–c (holotype).— Sakai, 1999: 51.— Sakai, 2005: 100.

Callianassa (Cheramus) praedatrix .— De Man, 1928a: 26, 97, 99, 146–151, pl. 15 fig. 22.

Callianassa praedatrix .— Sakai, 1988: 59–61, fig. 4.

Cheramus praedatrix .— Tudge et al., 2000: 145.— Sakai, 2011: 370–371.

Praedatrypaea praedatrix .— Poore et al., 2019: 139, 143.— Robles et al., 2020: figs 1, 3, 6.— Dworschak, 2022: 252–253, fig. 1.

Material examined. Egypt, Dahab Lagoon , 28.48° S, 34.49° E, NHMW 24324 ( ULLZ 10129 )* (ovigerous female, 6.8 mm) .

Diagnosis. Antennular peduncle reaching distal margin of antennal peduncle article 4. Maxilliped 3 ischium about 1.3 times as long as wide; merus oval, about 1.5 times as wide as long, with tooth on convex distal margin. Chelipeds meri upper margins each unarmed. Major cheliped merus lower margin with spine at midpoint, or with row of teeth; carpus 0.6 times as long as wide; palm 2.2 times as long as carpus, 1.2 times as long as wide; fingers, cutting edges with obsolete teeth. Uropod endopod 1.5 times as long as wide; anterior margin convex, with 4 distal stout setae; distal-posterior margin truncate distally, convex posteriorly; dorsal face with irregular row of 6 spiniform setae close to anterior margin, 1+3 spiniform setae close to posterodistal angle. Uropod exopod rectangular-oval, truncate distally, 1.5 times as long as wide; anterior margin straight, setose. Telson 1.3 times as long as wide, widest at strong lateral lobes at one third length; posterior margin with shallow medial depression, with medial spine; with 2 pairs of spiniform setae on posterolateral margins. Male pleopods 1, 2 unknown.

Distribution. Western Coral Triangle, Northwest Australian Shelf ( Indonesia [type locality: Boton Strait, 75–94 m]; North West Shelf, Australia); 76– 94 m. Other records doubtful.

Remarks. Callianassa praedatrix was described from a single female from Boton Strait, Indonesia. Tissue from a female from Egypt was identified as this species and contributed to the molecular treatment of Robles et al. (2020) and later figured by Dworschak (2022: fig. 1). Although taken far from the type locality, Dworschak (2022) identified the female based on the maxilliped 3, pleomere 6, uropods and pereopod 3. While the shape and setation of the uropodal rami of the Egyptian female are much as in De Man’s (1928b) figure, the posterior of the telson is more rounded (Dworschak, 2022: fig. 1h) than truncate (De Man, 1928b: pl. 15 fig. 22; Ngoc-Ho, 1994: fig. 2). The identity of the Egyptian female is questionable.

Davie (2002) included the species in the Australian fauna based on Sakai’s (1988) record of an ovigerous female lacking chelipeds and pleomere 6 and tailfan of C. praedatrix De Man, 1905 (now Praedatrypaea praedatrix ) from the North West Shelf. His figures of the maxilliped 3 and pereopod 3 (relatively wider and narrower respectively than P. propinqua ) support his identification.

Figures

Figure 35. Praedatrypaea praedatrix (De Man, 1905). Egypt. NHMW 24324, ovigerous female, 6.8 mm: a, left uropod; b, right uropodal endopod; c, major cheliped (right, mesial view). Same scale.