Paraleptuca splendida ( Stimpson, 1858 )

Shih, Hsi-Te, Wong, Kingsley J. H., Chan, Benny K. K., Nguyen, Thanh Son, Do, Van Tu, Ngo, Xuan Quang & Hsu, Pei-Yi, 2022, Branchipolynoe onnuriensis Kim & Choi & Eyun & Kim & Yu 2022, sp. nov., Zoological Studies 61 (66), pp. 1-24 : 12

Paraleptuca splendida ( Stimpson, 1858) ( Fig. 4E, F )

Gelasimus splendidus Stimpson, 1858: 99 (type locality: Hong Kong); Kingsley 1880: 149; Stimpson 1907: 106, pl. 14(2); Crane 1975: 98, 101, 599.

Uca latreillei – Balss 1922: 142.

Uca (Amphiuca) chlorophthalmus crassipes – Crane 1975: 101, pls. 15A–F, 46B, figs. 13A–I, 14, 26C, 37H, 39A, 56C, 60L, M, 68B, 81G, 82G, 83A (part); Dai et al. 1986: 428, pl. 59(5), fig. 238(1–2); Dai and Yang 1991: 468, pl. 59(5), fig. 238.

Uca crassipes – Jones and Morton 1994: 26, fig. 5, pl. 3C, D; Do and Hoang 2006: 36; S-L Yang et al. 2008: 807; Shih et al. 2010b: 6, 9; Chertoprud et al. 2012: 268, pl. 44E–G; Aoki and Wada 2013: 790; Le et al. 2018: 41; Le et al. 2020: 15.

Uca (Paraleptuca) crassipes – Ng et al. 2008: 241 [part].

Uca chlorophthalmus – Hoang et al. 2012: 75.

Uca (Paraleptuca) splendida – Shih et al. 2012: 30, figs. 2–4, 6, 7C; Shih et al. 2016a: 69, fig. 4E, F.

Uca splendida – Shih et al. 2013: 643.

Paraleptuca splendida – Shih et al. 2015: 236, figs. 195–200; Shih et al. 2016b: 156, 173, fig. 10E; Rosenberg 2019: 734; Sasaki 2019: 12504; Wada 2019: e142, fig. 1H.

Paraleptuca splendidus – Ng et al. 2017: 126, fig. 15c.

Material examined: Nha Trang: 1 ò (12.5 mm) (NCHUZOOL 15132), mangrove I, coll. I-H. Chen, 24 Nov. 2010; 5 òò (15.4–19.5 mm), mangrove II, coll. I-H. Chen and K. J. H. Wong, 24 Nov. 2010; 4 òò (11.3–14.8 mm), 7 ññ (12.9–14.5 mm) (NCHUZOOL 13459), Luong Son, Vinh Luong, coll. P.-C. Tsai and I-H. Chen, 23 Nov. 2010. Binh Thuan: 1 ò (18.7 mm) (NCHUZOOL 13463), Nguyen Thong, Phu Hai, Phan Thiet, coll. P.-C. Tsai and I-H. Chen, 26 Nov. 2010.

Distribution: Vietnam, South China (including Hainan), Taiwan and the Ryukyus (Iriomote).

Remarks: Paraleptuca splendida was recently shown as valid species, distinct from its longsynonymized congener, P. crassipes ( Shih et al. 2012) . This species shows a narrower range of distribution, from south of Vietnam, Dongsha Island, South China, western Taiwan (including Penghu) and southern Ryukyus, in comparison with P. crassipes with a much wider West-Pacific distribution ( Balss 1922; Chertoprud 2012; Shih 2012b 2020; Shih et al. 2010b 2012 2015 2016a). Considering the geographical range of P. splendida , in addition to a typical pattern shown by continental species ( East Asia and northern Vietnam), this species has also been found in northern Vietnam (Da Nang = “Tourane, Annam ” in Balss 1922; Fig. 7 ), southern Vietnam, southern Hainan, Dongsha Island and southern Ryukyus ( Shih 2012a). The current southernmost records of this species in Vietnam (Binh Thuan) are around the latitude of 11°N ( Figs. 1 , 7 ; this study).

Figures

Fig. 4. Dorsal view of carapace and frontal view of major cheliped. G. tetragonon (A, B, NCHUZOOL 15124, CW 23.4 mm, Vinh Luong, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa); Gelasimus vocans (C, D, specimens not catalogued, Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang); Paraleptuca splendida (E, F, NCHUZOOL 13448, CW 19.5 mm, Vinh Luong, Nha Trang); Tubuca acuta (G, H, NCHUZOOL 15138, CW 15.9 mm, Dong Rui, Quang Ninh).

Fig. 7. Oceanographic currents (summer) around Vietnamese waters and the distribution of fiddler crabs. Oceanographic current map is adopted from figure 5D in Xue et al. (2004) (Lincence number: 5380661146310, offered by JOHN WILEY AND SONS LICENSE). Marine ecoregions are indicated by bold dashed lines. Abbreviations: Ocean currents: GTONC – Gulf of Tonkin Current, SCSWC – South China Sea Warm Current, SCSKB – South China Sea Branch of Kuroshio, SEVOC – Southeast Vietnam Offshore Current; marine ecoregions (with numbers as listed in Spalding et al. 2007): GTo – Gulf of Tonkin (112), SC – Southern China (113), SCSOI - South China Sea Oceanic Islands (114), GTh – Gulf of Thailand (115), SV – Southern Vietnam (116), SS – Sunda Shelf (117), SK – South Kuroshio (121). Colorations depicted on marine areas represent sea surface elevation in centimeters. The record of Paraleptuca splendida in Da Nang was reported in Balss (1922) and Austruca lactea in Huong Phong, Thua Thien was recorded by Wada (2019).

Fig. 1. Collection sites for specimens of fiddler crabs from Vietnam examined in this study (see Table 1).