Anoplodactylus jonesi Child, 1974

Müller, Hans-Georg & Krapp, Franz, 2009, The pycnogonid fauna (Pycnogonida, Arthropoda) of the Tayrona National Park and adjoining areas on the Caribbean coast of Colombia 2319, Zootaxa 2319 (1), pp. 1-138 : 101-103

Anoplodactylus jonesi Child, 1974

Fig.54

Anoplodactylus jonesi Child, 1974: 497 . Child 1979: 56. Child 1982: 371. Stock 1986: 404.

Anoplodactylus (?) antillanus Stock 1975:1081.

Material: 22.— 11 gynandromorphs (4 ov.), deposited in collections as follows: 8 (2 ov.) ( SMF 1528 ) , 1 (ov.) ( ZFMK); 1 (ov.) ( ZSM); 1 (ov.) ( ZMA 3356 ) ; reef top, on Halimeda , mesolittoral, 14.IV.1986.

Description of gynandromorph: Dorsal trunk outline a long oval, rather robust, segments 3 and 4 fused. Crurigers without any tubercles or setae, broader than long, separated by about 1/2 of their diameter. Ocular process flat, broadly rounded, eyes distinctly pigmented; pair of flat conical tubercles on posterior margin of ocular process, with apical pore of unknown function. Abdomen twice as high as diameter, directed obliquely backwards, distally broadly rounded. Proboscis nearly cylindrical, distally slightly broader, bluntly rounded.

Cheliphore slender, scape barely longer than proboscis; chelae small and relatively slender; fingers distinctly curved, cutting edges each with 4 teeth. Oviger relatively robust; 3 rd article the longest, 1.6 times as long as 4 th; 5 th and 6 th articles together shorter than 4 th; terminal article narrowest, long, oval, with 2 short proximally-directed spines.

Legs robust, sparsely setose; coxa 1 4/5 length of coxa 3; coxa 2 the longest coxa, 1.7 times as long as coxa 1; femur the most robust and longest article, like the tibiae with long dorso-distal pinnate seta; slender conical cement gland duct inserted dorso-medially near end of proximal half of femur; tibiae of nearly equal length; tarsus as long as broad, ventrally with 3 short setae and one slender spine; propodus almost straight, 2– 3 robust spines on feebly developed heel; sole with slender proximal spine and long lamella almost 1/3 of total length of propodus; main claw very robust and distinctly curved, its tip reaching to the proximal spine of sole; auxiliary claw feebly curved, 1/5 length of main claw.

Measurements: Trunk length 0.73; width 0.39 (across first crurigers); length of abdomen 0.19; length of proboscis 0.35; length of cheliphore scape 0.26; length of chela 0.15; length of articles of leg 3: coxa 1—0.11; coxa 2—0.19; coxa 3—0.14; femur 0.42; tibia 1—0.38; tibia 2—0.39; tarsus 0.05; propodus 0.28; main claw 0.18; auxiliary claw 0.03.

Remarks: All specimens from the Santa Marta region proved to be hermaphrodites with only poorly developed cement gland ducts. Child (1979: 56) found predominantly normally developed male and female specimens on the Caribbean coast of Panamá. The percentage of hermaphrodites there amounted to only 6%. Two more specimens from Belize (Child 1982: 371) were normally developed males. A. jonesi seems to be a facultative hermaphrodite. The relationships of this very characteristic species remain totally obscure.

Most records of A. jonesi indicate a preference for algae as substratum. The depth distribution ranges from the surf zone down to about 100 m.

Distribution: Bonaire (Stock 1975a: 1081), Florida (Child 1974: 434), Caribbean coast of Panamá ( Child 1979: 56), Belize (Child 1982: 371)1) and Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 54. Anoplodactylus jonesi Child, 1974, gynandromorph: A trunk dorsal, B trunk lateral, outline of rudimentary eye process above,.C chela, D oviger, E leg 3, F propodus and tarsus of leg 3, G cement gland duct on leg 3.