CHIROSTYLIDAE, ORTMANN, 1892

Schnabel, Kareen E., 2009, A review of the New Zealand Chirostylidae (Anomura: Galatheoidea) with description of six new species from the Kermadec Islands, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 155 (3), pp. 542-582 : 547-549

NEW ZEALAND CHIROSTYLIDAE 547

Uroptychodes spinimarginatus . – Baba, 2004: 112, fig. 9b, c. – Baba, 2005: 27, 216 (list).

Type material: 1 ♀ ovig. (10.3 mm), lectotype, 1 ♂ (9 mm), paralectotype, off Kermadec Islands , 29° 55′S, 178° 14′W, 952 m, 14.vii.1874, Challenger stn 170 ( BMNH 1888 : 33) . 2 ♀ ovig. (6.7, 7.7 mm), paralectotypes, off Meangis Islands south of Philippines [= Kepulauan Talaud S of Mindanao], 4° 33′N, 127° 6′E, 914 m, 10.ii.1875, Challenger stn 214 ( BMNH 1888 : 33) .

Other material examined: 1 ♀ ovig. (11.7 mm), Manado Bight ( Indonesia), 1° 31′N, 124° 47′E, 458 m, 12.iii.1914, Great Northern Telegraph Co., Capt .

Christiansen ( ZMUC CRU–11191; examined by Baba, 2005).

Diagnosis: Carapace excluding rostrum slightly broader than long, dorsally unarmed, covered with fine setae; lateral margins with moderate anterolateral spine, two or three small hepatic spines, two or three spines in the anterior branchial region (the first largest) and five (rarely six) strong spines in the posterior branchial region. Rostrum with two to five small spines on distolateral margin. Antennal peduncle with ultimate article 1.8 times longer than penultimate; penultimate article with small distomesial spine; ultimate unarmed; antennal scale reaching or slightly overreaching mid-length of adjacent ultimate article. Maxilliped 3 ischium with one to three small spines lateral to rounded flexor distal margin; mesial ridge with obsolescent denticles; distolateral spines on merus and carpus small or obsolescent; merus with three or four small spines on distal half of flexor margin. Pereopod 1 (cheliped) 2.4–2.8 times carapace length; with setiferous scale-like ridges; ischium with ventral and distodorsal spines; merus with three distal spines (lateral strongest), carpus 0.8 times length of palm. Pereopods 2–4 meri with rows of spines along extensor margins; propodi unarmed except distal pair of spines on flexor margin.

Variation: A comparison of the lectotype with the other material shows some small variation: the cheliped is more slender in small females; height–width ratio of the propodal palm in the largest Philippine specimen is 7.6 compared to 5.0 and 4.9 for the lectotype female and ZMUC Manado Bight females, respectively. The single small male in this series has a slightly stouter propodal palm (3.9 times higher than wide). Overall, the spines and rugosities of the appendages, maxilliped, and pterygostomian flap are least pronounced in the female lectotype compared to the other specimens of the series, characters that appear to vary with size and sex among the material examined.

Remarks: Uroptychus spinimarginatus is clearly distinguishable from its congeners by the combination of an unarmed carapace dorsum, only the distal third of the lateral margin of rostrum with spines, ultimate antennal article nearly twice as long as penultimate article, and the lateral branchial margin with five or six large spines, diminishing in size posteriorly.

The syntypes of this species were collected by HMS Challenger from widely separated locations in the south-west ( Kermadec Islands ) and north Pacific ( Philippines). The female from off the Kermadec Islands was designated as the lectotype ( Baba, 1988) .

Distribution: Western Pacific; the Kermadec Islands, south of Mindanao ( Philippines) ( Henderson, 1885, 1888), Hunter and Matthew Islands, New Caledonia and Kei Islands ( Baba, 2004) and Manado Bight ( Indonesia) ( Baba, 2005), 458– 952 m. In New Zealand, this species is so far only known from the type locality ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

Figure 5. Records of Uroptychodes spinimarginatus (Henderson, 1885), Uroptychus alcocki Ahyong & Poore, 2004, Uroptychus australis (Henderson, 1885), Uroptychus novaezelandiae Borradaile, 1916, Uroptychus maori Borradaile, 1916, Uroptychus politus (Henderson, 1885), Uroptychus scambus Benedict, 1902, and Uroptychus sp. around New Zealand. Solid symbols indicate type records. 250, 1000, and 2500 m bathymetric contours are shown.