Acanthaxius Sakai & de Saint Laurent, 1989

Ngoc-Ho, Nguyen, 2005, Thalassinidea (Crustacea, Decapoda) from French Polynesia, Zoosystema 27 (1), pp. 47-83 : 49

Genus Acanthaxius Sakai & de Saint Laurent, 1989

Acanthaxius spinosissimus ( Rathbun, 1906) ( Fig. 1 )

Axius spinosissimus Rathbun, 1906: 894 , fig. 50a, b.

Axiopsis (Axiopsis) spinosissima – de Man 1925: 70, 98, pl. 8, fig. 18- 18g.

Acanthaxius spinosissimus – Sakai & de Saint Laurent 1989: 67. — Kensley 1996: 70.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Molokai Island (Hawaii), Albatros , stn 3847, 8.IV.1902, 41- 43 m, sex not indicated, cl. 7.5 mm, tl. 18.5 mm ( USNM 30534 ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — French Polynesia. Mar-

Thalassinidea (Crustacea, Decapoda ) from French Polynesia

stn 1305, 90- 155 m, 10.IX. 1997, P. Bouchet, B. Dayrat, B. Richer de Forges coll., 1 broken ovigerous, cl. 11 mm, tl. 28 mm (MNHN-Th 1420).

DISTRIBUTION. — Hawaii ( Rathbun 1906); North of Buton strait, Indonesia (de Man 1925); Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.

DESCRIPTION

Carapace ( Fig. 1A, B ) with pointed rostrum reaching slightly beyond eyes to distal margin of second article of A1 peduncle; lateral border with five spines, continuous with lateral carina of gastric region, latter with seven spines; median rostral carina with three spines, median carina of gastric region with nine spines; submedian carina with eight to nine spines. Anterolateral border of carapace with two spines; two or three hepatic spines present. Cervical groove extending to whole carapace bearing on each side four dorsal and seven lateral spines. Postcervical carapace with small scattered tubercles; weak median carina on posterior half.

Pleuron of abdominal somite 1 ( Fig. 1D ) narrowing ventrally, anterior border with denticles; pleuron of abdominal somite 2 broadly rounded ventrally, pleura 3-5 with broad ventral angle, pleura 2 and 3 with lower distal denticles. Telson ( Fig. 1C ) approximately 1.3 times as long as wide, lateral border with two spinules; posterior border with median spine and three posterolateral spines, inner largest; two pairs of large dorsal spines.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Acanthaxius spinosissimus (Rathbun, 1906), Marquesas, (MNHN Th 1420); A, anterior part of carapace; B, lateral view; C, telson and uropods; D, abdomen, telson and uropods in lateral view; E, F, pereopods 1 and 2; G, H, maxilliped 3 and ischium in