Pycnoplax meridionalis ( Rathbun, 1923 ) Castro, 2007

Castro, Peter, 2007, A reappraisal of the family Goneplacidae MacLeay, 1838 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) and revision of the subfamily Goneplacinae, with the description of 10 new genera and 18 new species, Zoosystema 29 (4), pp. 609-774 : 669-672

Pycnoplax meridionalis ( Rathbun, 1923) n. comb.

Carcinoplax meridionalis Rathbun, 1923: 99 , pl. 18 [ Australia]. — McNeill 1929: 150 [ Australia]. — Serène 1968: 89 [in list]. — Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: 62 [in list], 64 [in key], 67, figs 166-173, pl. 15, fig. D [ Australia]. — Guinot 1969b: 524 [discussion]; 1971: 1081 [in list]; 1989: 314 [in list], pl. 12, fig. G. — Griffin & Brown 1976: 255 [ Australia]. — Springthorpe & Lowry 1994: 106 [in list]. — Davie 2002: 189 [unnumb. fig.], 194 [in list]. — Poore 2004: 434 [in key], 436, fig. 140c, pl. 24, fig. a [ Australia].

Pilumnoplax abyssicola – Whitelegge 1900: 158 (not Carcinoplax abyssicola ( Miers, 1886)) .

Carcinoplax meridionaris [sic] – Sakai 1969: 269 [in list].

Carcinoplex [sic] meridionalis – Griffin 1972: 84 [ Australia].

Not Carcinoplax meridionalis – Chen 1984: 189 [in key], 194, fig. 5; 1998: 266 [in key] (unknown species).

Carcinoplax victoriensis – McLay 1988: 258, fig. 57 [ New Zealand].

? Carcinoplax victoriensis – Dell 1960: 4, pl. 1 [Chatham Is]; 1963b: 251; 1968a: 25 [in list]; 1968b: 234, 238 [ New Zealand]. — Bennett 1964: 73 footnote [ New Zealand]. — Takeda & Miyake 1969b: 172 [ New Zealand]. — Dawson 1984: 215, pl. 2, fig. e [ New Zealand]. — Wear & Fielder 1985: 10 [in list], 62 [larvae] [ New Zealand].

TYPE MATERIAL. — Australia, Endeavour , ♂ holotype ( AM E2233 ) ; ♂ paratype ( AM E5159 ) ; 2 undetermined paratypes ( AM E6487 ) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Australia, Victoria, off Rame Head, 37°58’S, 149°17’E, 139 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Australia. New South Wales, off Newcastle, 82-91 m, XI.1931, 5 ♂♂ ( ZRC 1965.11.24.4). — Stn SS01/00 141, 37°20.99’S, 150°93.63’E, 15.IV.2000, 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 pre-adult ♀, 1 pre-adult ( NMV J52135 ). — Off Botany Bay, leg. M. Ward, X.1924, 1 ♀ ( BPBM S1851).

Victoria, stn SS01/00 237, 38°11.26’S, 149°33.59’E, 320 m, 26.IV.2000, 3 ♂♂, 1 pre-adult ♂ ( NMV J52128 ).

South Australia, stn SS01/00 351, 33°16.00’S, 130°43.15’E, 10.V.2000, 1 ♀ ( NMV J52131 ).

New Zealand. Tangaroa , stn TAN0107/02, 35°44.38’S, 178°29.83’E, 382 m, 19.V.2001, 3 ♂♂, 1 pre-adult ♂ ( NIWA). — StnTAN0107/05, 35°44.38’S, 178°29.85’E, 420 m, 19.V.2001, 1 ♀ ( NIWA). — Stn TAN0707/50, 35°44.38’S, 178°29.92’E, 430 m, 19.V.2001, 2 pre-adult ( NIWA). — Stn TAN0107/122, 35°44.31’S, 178°29.79’E, 939 m 20.V.2001, 1 ♂, 1 pre-adult ( NIWA). — Stn TAN0107/223, 35°44.26’S, 178°30.45’E, 1045 m, 23.V.2001, 1 ♀ ( NIWA). — Stn TAN0107/224, 35°44.35’S, 178°29.74’E, 200 m, 23.V.2001, 1 ♂, 7 ♀♀, 8 pre-adult ( NIWA). — Stn TAN0107/229, 36°08.35’S, 178°11.55’E, 501 m, 25.V.2006, 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( NIWA). — Stn TAN107/324, 1 ♀ ( NIWA).

Off Banks Peninsula, from Port Lyttleton fishermen, Christchurch, 2004, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( NIWA).

DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from Australia (Western Australia to New South Wales, including Tasmania and Tasmanian seamounts [ Poore 2004]), and New Zealand, including the Chatham Is ( Dell 1968b). Depth: 46-1045 m.

COLOUR

Carapace pink (see Poore 2004: pl. 24, figs a, b, as C. meridionalis ). The carapace of specimens from New Zealand has been described as “pale vermillion, darker anteriorly” ( McLay 1988: 258, as C. victoriensis ).

REMARKS

Guinot (1969b: 524) placed Carcinoplax meridionalis by itself in one of three groups of Carcinoplax species because of a sternum that was narrower, particularly between the P1 (“plastron sternal moins élargi, notamment entre les p1”). Serène & Lohavanijaya (1973: 67) considered the species as “close” to Carcinoplax angusta ( Rathbun, 1914) , actually not belonging in Carcinoplax but a euryplacid (see Remarks for Carcinoplax ), on account of the “stout and smooth” P1 and the narrow male abdomen and G1. The similarities in these last two characters are erroneous since both the male abdomen and the G1 are much narrower in than in P. meridionalis n. comb.

Diagnostic of the species is a second anterolateral tooth that is acute and has a curved tip (see Rathbun 1923: pl. 18, fig. 1; Guinot 1989: pl. 12, fig. G; Poore 2004: fig. 140c, as C. meridionalis ). The inner suborbital tooth is conspicuous and visible dorsally as in P. victoriensis n. comb. The G1 is proximally thick and spinous but the distal part is narrow ( Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: figs 168- 170, as C. meridionalis ). The G2 is longer than the G1, its distal part almost as long as the proximal part (peduncle), the tip is not expanded and it has several minute spinules ( Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: figs 171-173, as C. meridionalis ). The vulva has a thick, oblong vulvar cover on its outer margin. Differences with P. victoriensis n. comb., with which it is apparently sympatric, are given in the Remarks section of P. victoriensis n. comb. (see below).

The East China Sea specimens identified as C. meridionalis by Chen (1984: 194, 197) do not belong to the species, which is known only from temperate

Revision of Goneplacinae ( Crustacea, Brachyura)

Australia and New Zealand. The general shape of the carapace is similar to that of P. surugensis n. comb. but the ambulatory legs (P2-P5) are shorter than in the latter. The East China Sea specimens were not available for examination.

Records of Pycnoplax victoriensis ( Rathbun, 1923) n. comb. from New Zealand most probably belong instead to P. meridionalis n. comb. The material, however, should be re-examined.

Pycnoplax victoriensis ( Rathbun, 1923) n. comb. ( Fig. 18 )

Carcinoplax victoriensis Rathbun, 1923: 101 , pl. 19 [ Australia]. — Serène 1968: 89 [in list]. — Sakai 1969: 269 [in list]. — Guinot 1969b: 526 [discussion]; 1971: 1081 [in list]; 1989: 314 [in list], pl. 12, fig. F. — Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: 62 [in list], 64 [in key]. — Griffin & Brown 1976: 254 [ Australia]. — Springthorpe & Lowry 1994: 115 [in list]. — Davie 2002: 194 [in list]. — Poore 2004: 434 [in key], 436, fig. 140d, pl. 24, fig. b [ Australia].

Not Carcinoplax victoriensis – McLay 1988: 258, fig. 57 [ New Zealand] (= Pycnoplax meridionalis ( Rathbun, 1923) n. comb.).

?Not Carcinoplax victoriensis – Dell 1960: 4, pl. 1 [Chatham Is]; 1963b: 251; 1968a: 25 [in list]; 1968b: 234, 238 [ New Zealand]. — Bennett 1964: 73 footnote [ New Zealand]. — Takeda & Miyake 1969b: 172 [ New Zealand]. — Dawson 1984: 215, pl. 2, fig. e [ New Zealand]. — Wear & Fielder 1985: 10 [in list], 62 [larvae] [ New Zealand] (= Pycnoplax meridionalis ( Rathbun, 1923) n. comb.).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Australia, Endeavour , ♂ holotype, cl 24.4 mm, cw 34 mm ( AM E4395 ) ; 2 pre-adult paratypes ( AM E5196 ) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Australia, Victoria, south of Gabo I., 38°09’S, 149°55’E, 281- 503 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Australia. Victoria, 55 km east of Gabo I., 37°41.5’S, 150°14.0’E, 458 m, Soela, 4.II.1985, 1 ♂ ( NMV J53153 ). — Stn SS01/00 187, 38°14.91’S, 149°38.67’E, 500 m, 21.IV.2000, 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 pre-adult ♀♀ ( NMV J52213 ).

DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from temperate southeastern Australia, including Tasmania (see Poore 2004). Records from New Zealand, including the Chatham Is, are questionable. Depth: 125- 765 m.

COLOUR

Carapace of live individuals with large pink blotches, dark-red bands on the meri of the ambulatory legs.

REMARKS

Pycnoplax victoriensis n. comb. is close to P. meridionalis n. comb. in the general shape of the carapace. Both species appear to be sympatric to southeastern Australia. They can be easily distinguished because the second anterolateral tooth is short and triangular in P. victoriensis n. comb. but curved and conspicuously acute in P. meridionalis n. comb. (see Rathbun 1923: pl. 18, fig. 1, pl. 19, fig. 1; Guinot 1989: pl. 12, figs F, G; Poore 2004: fig. 140c, d, as C. victoriensis and C. meridionalis ). The carapace has two slight horizontal ridges across (see Rathbun 1923: pl. 19, fig. 1; Guinot 1989: pl. 12, fig. F, as C. victoriensis ), which are absent in P. meridionalis n. comb. The telson of the male abdomen has a rounded margin whereas it is more pointed in P. meridionalis n. comb. The G1 is stout, spinous, and narrower distally, although not as narrow as in P. meridionalis n. comb. (see Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: figs 168-170, as C. meridionalis ); the G2 is longer than the G1, its flagellum shorter than the proximal part (peduncle), and the tip with two terminal spinules. The vulva of adult females has a conspicuous triangular vulvar cover ( Fig. 18 ), whereas it is oblong in P. meridionalis n. comb. The carapace of live P. victoriensis n. comb. has large pink blotches, dark-red bands on the ambulatory leg meri, and white fingers that can be dark brown at the tips, whereas in P. meridionalis n. comb. the carapace is similarly pink without the red bands on the ambulatory legs and dark brown fingers (see Poore 2004: pl. 24, figs a, b, as C. meridionalis ).

Figures

FIG. 18. — Pycnoplax victoriensis (Rathbun,1923) n. comb., ♀, cl 12.1 mm,cw 14.6 mm,off Victoria,Australia,stn SS01/00 187,500 m (NMV J52213), thoracic sternum, vulva, vulvar cover, and remains of sperm plug.