Galearctus umbilicatus ( Holthuis, 1977 ) Holthuis, 2002

Holthuis, Lipke B., 2002, The Indo-Pacific scyllarine lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda, Scyllaridae), Zoosystema 24 (3), pp. 499-683 : 564-565

Galearctus umbilicatus ( Holthuis, 1977) n. comb.

Scyllarus umbilicatus Holthuis, 1977: 195 , figs 1, 2. — Phillips et al. 1980: 70. — McWilliam et al. 1995: 564. — Fransen et al. 1998: 68.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: (AM P.8232); paratypes: 2, 3 (2 ov.), 2 juv., see Material examined under Stradbroke Id and New South Wales. TYPE LOCALITY. — Australia. New South Wales. Two to three miles North of Green Cape, about 37°15’S, 150°03’E, 55-73 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Australia. Queensland. Off Queensland, 165 m, early 1964, W. Goode, 1 11 mm ( WAM, 357-64).

Off SE coast of Queensland. RV Nimbus , stn 10, 26°31’S, 153°40’E, 138 m, 26.VII.1968, A. J. Bruce, 1 18 mm ( RMNH D 30926). — Stn 19, 26°49’S, 153°37’E, 183-192 m, 27.VII.1968, 1 13 mm ( RMNH D 30930). — Stn 20, 26°50’S, 153°39’E, 225-234 m, 27.VII.1968, 1 11 mm ( RMNH D 30929). — Stn 24, 27°00’S, 153°33’E, 93-95 m, 28.VII.1968, 2 16 and 22 mm, 4 juv. 10-12 mm ( RMNH D 30927). — Stn 25, 27°00’S, 153°36’E, 137 m, 28.VII.1968, 1 20 mm ( RMNH D 30924). — Stn 26, 27°00’S, 153°39’E, 183 m, 28.VII.1968, 6 10-14 mm ( RMNH D 30925). — Stn 27, 27°00’S, 153°41’E, 228-232 m, 28.VII.1968, 1 juv. 7.5 mm ( RMNH D 30928).

Due East of Jumpinpin bar, Stradbroke Id, about 27°40’S, 153°25’E, 86 m, among fan corals, 1.VII.1961, W. Stephenson, 2 juv. paratypes (AM P.14045).

New South Wales. Off mouth of Manning River, about 31°52’S, 152°38’E, 82-91 m, 1 paratype (AM P.11405). — Off Broughton Id, Port Stephen, FV Challenge, trawl, about 32°37’S, 152°21’E, 88- 104 m, mud, VII.1959, A. A. Racek, 1 paratype ( RMNH D 20143). — NE of Newcastle, about 32°55’S, 151°45’E, about 84 m, inside 50 fathom reef, 28.IX.1967, N. Ruello, 1 ov. paratype ( AM). — Off Newcastle, about 32°55’S, 151°45’E, trawl, XII.1953, A. d’Ombrain, 1 ov. paratype 27 mm (AM P.12326). — South-east of Sydney, RV Kapala , 33°45’S, 151°30’E, 137-146 m, VI.1971, 1 paratype 20 mm (AM P.18012). — Two to three miles north of Green Cape, FV Bar ea Nuel, about 37°15’S, 150°03’E, trawl, 55-73 m, VII.1925, W. Boardman, 1 holotype (AM P.8232).

DISTRIBUTION. — So far the species has only been reported from the east coast of Australia between 26°30’S (S Queensland) and 37°S (S New South Wales).

HABITAT. — The species has been found at depths between (55-)73 and 228(-232) m. The only two mentions of the bottom configuration said “mud” and “among fan corals”.

DESCRIPTION

This species is very close to G. timidus n. comb., but it is slightly narrower. The arborescent markings on the abdominal somites are finer and deeper.

In G. timidus n. comb. the anterior half of the abdominal somites is smooth with a single transverse groove carrying short posteriorly directed hairs; a trace of a second such groove may be visible. In G. umbilicatus n. comb. there are two parallel grooves in the smooth anterior part that are somewhat crenulate and often are in contact with one another. The upper margin of the large gastric tooth in the present species is convex, it is almost straight in G. timidus n. comb. Other differences are mentioned by Holthuis (1977), where an extensive description and figures of the present species are given.

Size

The carapace length of the examined males varies between 10 and 22 mm. The non-ovigerous females have cl. 13 to 27 mm, the ovigerous females 22 to 24 mm.