Uca (Austruca) iranica Pretzmann, 1971

Naderloo, Reza, Türkay, Michael & Chen, Hui-Lian, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the wide-front fiddler crabs of the Uca lactea group (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) in the Indo-West Pacific, Zootaxa 2500, pp. 1-38 : 14-19

Uca (Austruca) iranica Pretzmann, 1971

( Figs. 6 , c–f, 7a, 8a, 9a–k)

Uca annulipes — Stephensen 1945: 189. — Pretzmann 1971: 481 [not Gelasimus annulipes H. Milne Edwards, 1837 ]. — Al-Ghais & Cooper 1996: 419 –421, figs. 7–8. — Tirmizi & Ghani 1996: 105 –107 (not fig. 40). — Hornby 1997: 15 (prt.?). [not Gelasimus annulipes H. Milne Edwards, 1837 ]

Uca annulipes iranica Pretzmann 1971: 481 , P1. 5, figs. 11–12. — Apel & Türkay 1999: 133 –134. — Apel 2001: 114.

Uca (Celuca) lactea annulipes — Crane 1975: 299, 301, 611. [part: Persian Gulf’s material]. — Collins et al. 1984: 318, 326–327. — Jones 1986: 157, pl. 42.

Austruca lactea annulipes — Clayton 1986: 86 –88, fig. 3.

Uca iranica — Shih et al. 2009: 377.

Holotype. 1 male ( NHMW 3788), Iran, Bandar-Abbas, 1970, leg. Pretzmann & Bilek.

Other material. Persian Gulf: Iran: 3 males ( NHMW), Bandar-Abbas, intertidal beach, 1970, leg. Pretzmann & Bilek; 24 males, 4 females, 3 juv. ( SMF 34650), Qeshm Island, N. coast, 3 km W of Kuweii, 26º 57'N, 56º 00'E, muddy flat sometimes mixed with shells, among sea grass, 0 6.05.2008, leg. R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi; 4 males, 2 females, 12 juv. ( SMF 34651), Qeshm Island, S. coast, 26º 43΄N, 55º 49΄E, sandy flat, 0 9.01.2008, R. Naderloo & M. Türkay; 21 males, 5 females ( SMF 34652) Qeshm Island, Dargahan, 26º 58΄N, 56º 0 4΄E, sandy-muddy, with planted mangroves, 13.01.2008, R. Naderloo & M. Türkay; 6 males, 2 females ( SMF 34653), Qeshm Island, S. coast, 26º 48΄N, 56º 0 5΄E, sandy, muddy-sand substrate with dead plantedmangroves, 11.01.2008. R. Naderloo & M. Türkay; 9 males, 6 females ( SMF 34654), Qeshm Island, N. Coast, Holor village, 26º 38΄N, 56º 0 4΄E, sandy substrate, planted mangroves, 13.02.2006, R. Naderloo; 6 males, 9 females ( ZUTC Brach1246), Qeshm Island, Tula, 26º 59΄N, 56º 12΄E, muddy-sand, 13.01.2008, R. Naderloo & M. Türkay; 9 males, 2 females ( ZUTC Brach1247), Bushehr, Shah Abdollah, 30º 0 6΄N, 49º 46΄E, sandymud flat, 14.04.2006, R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi; 2 males ( ZUTC Brach1248), Bushehr, Delvar, Park Saheli, 28º 45΄N, 51º 20΄E, sandy substrate along tidal water channel, 10.04.2006, R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi; 5 males ( ZUTC Brach1249), Bandar-Emam, Park Saheli, 30º 28΄N, 49º 0 4΄E, muddy substrate, 21.05.2008, R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi; 2 males, 1 female ( ZUTC Brach12450), Bandar-Abbas, behind Airport, 27º 47΄N, 56º 24΄E, tidal channel with planted mangroves, sandy-mud substrate, 0 7.01.2008, R. Naderloo & A. Sari.

Kuwait: 1 male (NHM 1988:54), 1981, leg. D.A. Jones; 2 males ( SMF 17154), 1eg. A. Seilacher; 7 males, 1 female (NHM 1988:53), 29° 35'N, 48° 09'E, leg. D.J. Crisp; 3 males, l female (NHM 1978:197), Kuwait Bay, Al Jurthamah, intertidal sand, 0 4.04.1978, leg. D. Clayton & T. Vaughan; 1 male, 1 female (NHM 1988:52), Kuwait Bay, Al Akkas, 29° 22'N, 47° 55'E, leg. D.J. Crisp.

UAE: 3 males (SMF 26026), Ras al Khaimah, mangroves, N. Rams, 25° 50'N, 55° 00'E, sandy-muddy substrate, high intertidal, 10.07.1995, leg. M. Apel; 7 males, 2 females (SMF 26027), Ras al Khaimah, inner side of S. Rams, 25° 50'N, 55° 00'E, sandy substrate amongst Salicornia sp., 11.07.1995, leg. M. Apel; 7 males, 1 female (SMF 26024), Ras al Khaimah, Khor, 25° 46'N, 55° 58'E, E. Police club, mangroves, 10.07.1995, leg. M. Apel; 3 males, 1 female (SMF 26030), Um al Qaiwain, Khor al Beidah, mangrove region, 25° 35'N 55° 35'E, 0–1 m, several small islands, 0 9.07.1995, leg. M. Apel.

Gulf of Oman: Iran: 4 males (SMF 34655), Baluchestan, Guader Bay, mangroves, 25º 0 8΄N, 61º 27΄E, sandy-muddy substrate, 18.11.2005, R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi; 4 males, 2 females (SMF 34656), 30 km E. Jask, Khor Khalasi, 25º 35΄N, 58º 0 2΄E, seawards fringe of mangroves, muddy-sand substrate, 20.11.2005, R. Naderloo & A. Kazemi.

UAE: 11 males (SMF 26019), Fujairah, mangroves of khor Kalba, 25° 01'N, 51° 21'E, sandy-mud substrate, 0 1.07.1995, leg. M. Apel; 3 males, 4 females (SMF 26023), Fujairah, mangroves of khor Kalba, 25° 01'N, 56° 21'E, sandy-mud substrate, 0 1.07.1995, leg. M. Apel; 3 females (SMF 26022), Fujairah, mangroves of khor Kalba, 25° 01'N, 56° 21'E, sandy-mud substrate, 0 1.07.1995, leg. M. Apel.

Diagnosis. Front broad. Anterolateral borders of carapace weakly arched, nearly straight. Major male chela palm without supramarginal groove adjacent to lower border, but shallow depression near base of fixed finger. G1 and female genital opening as in U. annulipes .

Redescription. Front broad, about 1/6.5 times as broad as carapace. Venterolateral margin of carapace ( Figs. 6 d, 9a) very slightly convergent, nearly straight, distinctly crested; posterolateral margin crested, extending curvedly backwards, ending about in level of middle cardiac region; posterolateral striae short, shortly behind posterolateral margin, slightly lower that latter. Exorbital angle triangular, directed forward; upper orbital margin sinuous, with two crests (lower one faintly crested), bordering narrow eyebrow, getting strongly narrower outwardly, inner part less than 1/2 breadth of eyestalk in adjacent region; lower orbital margin regularly granulate, granules becoming larger on outer one third portion ( Fig. 9 b).

Pterygostomian region with regular feather-shaped bristle near third maxilliped, becoming glabrous towards lower orbital margin, one longitudinal line of bristle on low-laid antero-inner portion.

Third maxilliped with merus about 1/3 length of ischium; longitudinal broad groove on ischium, merus, close to inner margin, bordered with short setae; long setae on inner margin of ischium, merus.

Major chela merus ( Fig. 9 d) with transverse ridges on upper margin, finely granulate; inner upper margin distally elevated, granulate; lower margin denticulate, denticles becoming larger distally ( Fig. 9 c). Carpus about 1.5 times as long as broad, inner upper margin denticulate, 3, 4 proximal denticles remarkably large; outer surface, inner surface and lower margin smooth, glabrous. Outer surface of palm ( Fig. 9 e) smooth, without supramarginal groove, with shallow depression near base of fixed finger; lower margin weakly granulate, with low granules, upper margin granulate, proximal portion with dense short setae at inner surface; inner surface ( Fig. 9 f) with high, oblique and tuberculate ridge, granules large, becoming smaller distally; proximal ridge at dactylus base with large granules, distal ridge parallel to proximal one, with granules low, relatively small. Dactylus more than 2 times as long as palm, slightly wider than fixed finger, with subproximal tooth, median teeth nearly in middle; fixed finger with large median tooth on proximal third, located between proximal and middle teeth of dactylus when fingers are closed, subdistal tooth small.

Small chela ( Fig. 9 g) with smooth ridge on outer surface, extending from lower distal end of palm to proximal two third of fixed finger; cutting edge without tooth, dactylus slightly wider than gap between fingers, gap getting narrower distally, fixed finger slightly higher than dactylus proximally.

Merus of walking legs with finely granulated transverse ridges on anterior margin, posterior margin serrated on proximal half; propodus 1.2 times as long as carpus, propodus of last leg slightly shorter than carpus ( Fig. 9 h); dactylus conical, as long as propodus; row of brown bristles on anterior and posterior surface of propodus and dactylus, those of dactylus longer.

Male abdomen tapering from segments 2 to 5; segment 6 with lateral margin nearly straight; length of segments 3–5 subequal; segments 5 and 6 of nearly equal length.

G1 ( Fig. 9 i) with stem bent in posterolateral direction, palp not reaching to base of horny endpiece; latter slightly longer than wide, distal margin convex, dorsal lobe large ( Fig. 9 k), reaching slightly beyond ventral lobe; terminal opening ( Fig. 9 j) of sperm channel subdistdal ventrally, in midline of endpiece lobes; feathershaped setae along lateral margin, distally longer, scarce short setae on palp. Genital opening of female as in U. albimana

Median tooth plate of the gastric mill ( Fig. 7 a) with 6 teeth, with relatively large gaps between them, two first ones massive, different in shape, 3–5 nearly of same size, 6 shorter; lateral tooth plate ( Fig. 8 a) with 18 comb-shaped teeth.

Distribution. Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Remarks. Pretzmann (1971) originally described the species as a subspecies of U. annulipes from the Persian Gulf. He recorded both U. annulipes and U. iranica from the same locality in Bandar-Abbas. The main characteristics given by Pretzmann (1971) to distinguish the two forms were mainly limited to the morphology of the large chelae. Apparently he assigned specimens with chela without large teeth on the cutting edge of the fingers (mainly regenerated form) to his subspecies U. annulipes iranica , but in the material examined here both species of U. iranica and U. annulipes have broadly the same type of chela. Such differences in the major chelae, which in realty refer to the peculiarities of regenerated pincers, are described also by Yamaguchi (1973) for Uca lactea . We also include in U. iranica the specimens from Bandar-Abbas assigned to U. annulipes proper by Pretzmann (1971). Crane (1975) did not mention or discuss the species.

As stated under the remarks for U. annulipes , all examined specimens clearly differ from U. annulipes and U. albimana by the shape of the anterolateral borders. Regarding the median tooth of the gastric mill, this species is clearly different from the two former, but is similar to U. cryptica sp. nov. by having 6 teeth on the median tooth of the gastric mill ( Figs. 7 a, b). In contrast, the lateral tooth of the gastric mill of U. iranica is different from U. cryptica sp. nov. and allied to U. albimana and U. annulipes , as U. iranica has a narrow lateral tooth plate with about 18 comb-shaped teeth.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Uca albimana (Kossmann, 1877): a, b, Red Sea, Yemen, Abuzaher; b, posterior view; c – f, Uca iranica Pretzmann, 1971; c, Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island, Naghasheh; d, posterior view; e, Persian Gulf, UAE; f, Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island, Naghasheh, carapace with different colour pattern. Photo credits: a, b, e by M. Apel; c, d, f by R. Naderloo.

FIGURE 7. Median tooth plate of the gastric mill, ventral face: a, Uca iranica Pretzmann, 1971, male (SMF 34650); b, Uca cryptica sp. nov., paratype (SMF 17167).

FIGURE 8. Lateral tooth plate of the gastric mill, mesial face: a, Uca iranica Pretzmann, 1971, male (SMF 34650); b, Uca cryptica sp. nov., paraptype (SMF 17167).

FIGURE 9. Uca iranica Pretzmann, 1971: holotype male (NHMW 3788), a, lateral margin of carapace; b, infraorbital region; c, merus of major chela, inner surface; d, merus of major chela, outer surface; e, major chela, outer surface; f, major chela, inner surface; g, minor chela, outer surface; h, last walking leg, left; i, G 1, laterla surface; j, apical part of G 1, lateral surface; k, apical part of G 1, mesial surface.