Rochinia kotakae Takeda, 2001

Lee, Bee Yan, Forges, Bertrand Richer De & Ng, Peter K. L., 2017, Deep-sea spider crabs of the families Epialtidae MacLeay, 1838 and Inachidae MacLeay, 1838, from the South China Sea, with descriptions of two new species (Decapoda, Brachyura, Majoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 358, pp. 1-37 : 14-15

Rochinia kotakae Takeda, 2001

Figs 7A , 8A

Rochinia kotakae Takeda, 2001: 238–241 , figs 3, 4 (type locality: Tosa Bay, Southwest Japan).

Rochinia kotakae – Ho et al. 2004: 650–651, figs 3H, 4. — Ng & Richer de Forges 2007: 62 (list); 2013: 363, fig. 5E.— Ng et al. 2008: 105 (list). — Richer de Forges & Ng 2013: 463 (list), 474, 478–479, figs 1D, 7, 8I–L.

Material examined

SOUTH CHINA SEA: 1 ovigerous ♀ (14.0 × 9.1 mm) ( ZRC 2016.0079), Nanhai, continental slope, stn CP4118, 20°00.76′ N, 115°00.83′ E to 20°01.28′ N, 115°02.12′ E, 700–723 m, coll. NANHAI 2014 Expedition, 12 Jan. 2014; 5 ♂♂ (only the measurement of the largest specimen is given: 17.2 × 12.0 mm), 1 ♂ (16.9 × 11.2 mm) [photographed], 1 ♀ (15.9 × 10.2 mm), 1 ovigerous ♀ (16.8 × 11.3 mm) ( ZRC 2016.0544), Horse Shoe Ridge, stn CST12, 22°0.95′ N, 118°53.95′ E to 22°4.86′ N, 11°52.78′ E, 1346– 758 m, coll. T.W. Wang, 29 Apr. 2016; 1 ♂ (13.0 × 8.1 mm), 1 ♀ (9.3 × 5.7 mm) ( ZRC 2016.0545), Horse Shoe Ridge, stn CST13, 22°1.22′ N, 118°53.80′ E to 22°6.19′ N, 118°52.45′ E, 1311– 816 m, coll. T.W. Wang, 30 Apr. 2016.

Remarks

Rochinia kotakae is characterised by its long divergent pseudorostral spines, very long and sharp branchial spines pointing outward, and distinctly flattened postocular and hepatic spines. This species was described based on a single female specimen collected from Tosa Bay, Japan ( Takeda 2001). Ho et al. (2004) later gave a more detailed description of a male specimen that was collected from Taiwan. Richer de Forges & Ng (2013) provided photographs of specimens of R. kotakae , from the Philippines

and Taiwan ( Richer de Forges & Ng 2013: fig. 7). The present specimen from the SCS agrees well with the earlier material.

The only other species of Rochinia known to have this type of carapace pattern, with the flattened hepatic spine and very long branchial spines, is R. sibogae Griffin & Tranter, 1986 , described from the Ceram Sea, Indonesia. However, in R. sibogae , the post-ocular and the hepatic foliated spine are fused ( Griffin & Tranter 1986b: fig. 12b). In R. kotakae , these two spines are clearly separated ( Fig. 8A ).

Distribution

This species was recorded from Japan ( Takeda 2001), Taiwan ( Ho et al. 2004) and the Philippines ( Richer de Forges & Ng 2007). This is a new record for the South China Sea.

Figures

Fig. 7. Colour in life. A. Rochinia kotakae Takeda, 2001, ovigerous ♀ (14.0 × 9.1 mm) (ZRC 2016.0079), South China Sea. B. Rochinia strangeri Serène & Lohavanijaya, 1973, ♂ (12.2 × 8.0 mm) (ZRC 2016.0546), South China Sea. C. Rochinia kagoshimensis (Rathbun, 1932) comb. nov., ♂ (10.7 × 6.9 mm) (ZRC 2016.0549), South China Sea. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Fig. 8. A. Rochinia kotakae Takeda, 2001, ovigerous ♀ (14.0 × 9.1 mm) (ZRC 2016.0079), South China Sea, lateral view of carapace. B–C. Rochinia sp., ♀ (7.6 × 5.3 mm) (ZRC 2016.0551), South China Sea. B. Overall dorsal view. C. Lateral view of carapace. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B–C = 2.5 mm.