Conchodytes meleagrinae Peters, 1852

Bruce, A. J., 2006, Pontoniine shrimps (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from the island of Socotra, with descriptions of new species of Dactylonia Fransen, 2002 and Periclimenoides Bruce, 1990, Zootaxa 1137, pp. 1-36 : 3

Conchodytes meleagrinae Peters, 1852

Figure 1 A–B

Conchodytes meleagrinae Peters, 1852: 594 .

Material examined. (1) 2ɗ, 2 ovig. Ψ, MAP­002, ST­008, 12°40.556’N 54°04.223’E, N coast between Hawlaf and Hadibo, 5–6 m, 28 February 1999, SMF 29191. (2) 1ɗ, 1 ovig. Ψ, MAP­59, ST­016, 12°40.264’N 53°27.204’E, SW of Qualansiyah, NW coast of Socotra, 5–7m, 8 March 1999, coll. S. al­Moghrabi, NHCY. (3) 1ɗ, 1 ovig. Ψ, MAP­070B, ST­17, Ras Asfar, N of Shuab, 10–11m, 9 March 1999, SMF 29192. (4) 11 spms (4 ovig. Ψ), MAP­123, ST­63A, Qadub, W of Hadibo, N coast, 6–8 m, 18 March 1999, coll. S. al­ Maghrabi, SMF 29193. (5) 1ɗ, MAP­140, ST­68, Hawlaf Bay, N coast 12–14 m, 19 March 1999, coll. A. Plaga, NHCY. (6) 2?ɗ, 1 ovig. Ψ, MAP­173, ST­0 97, Roosh, 1 km E of Suqra, N coast, 12–14 m, 23 March 1999, NHCY. (7) 1ɗ, MAP­249, ST­147, off Di­ Timri, N coast, 20–30 m, 3 April 1999, SMF 29194. (8) 2 ɗ, 3 ovig. Ψ, ST­149, 12°36.782’N 53°49.160’E, Qadub, W of Hadibo, N coast, 10–13 m, 6 April 1999, coll. Douad Naseeb, NHCY. (9) 6, (2 ovig.Ψ), F­061, ST­189/190, 2°14.5’N 52°04.0’E, Khaisat en­Naum, W coast of Abd­al­Kuri, 12–13 m, 10 April 1999, coll. Douad Naseeb, SMF 29195.

Hosts. All specimens were collected from Pinctada radiata (Leach) , Pinctada sp., or large oysters (Bivalvia, Mollusca).

Regional records. Aden: Gold Mohur Bay (Bruce, 1978); Oman: Mirbar, Dhofar ( Holthuis, 1986); Maldive Islands: Minicoy; Malé Atoll ( Borradaile, 1917).

General distribution. Type locality: Ibo, Moçambique. Widespread throughout most tropical Indo­Pacific waters where pearl oysters occur, from the Red Sea to the Hawaiian Islands.

Remarks. The specimens of this well known species present no special features. The fingers of the second pereiopod chela of this species are illustrated by Fransen (1994, figure 21). In the fingers of some of the present specimens ( Figure 1 A) the dactylus is more slender and the teeth on the cutting edge ( Figure 1 B) are more developed. The dactylar tooth is compressed and finely denticulate: on the fixed finger, the proximal tooth is not compressed and is densely covered with minute acute tubercles, the distal tooth is compressed, with a denticulate edge,

Figures

FIGURE 1. Conchodytes meleagrinae Peters, F­ 061, ST­ 189 / 190, (A), second pereiopod, fingers. (B), same, cutting edges. Periclimenaeus nobilii Bruce, MAP­ 139, ST­O 68, ovigerous female. (C), anterior carapace and appendages, lateral. Male. (D), third pereiopod, distal propod and dactyl. Periclimenaeus sp., aff. nobilii Bruce, MAP­ 070 A, ST­ 017, female. (E), third pereiopod, propod and dactyl. (F), same, distal propod and dactyl. G, telson.