Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002

Boyko, Christopher B., 2010, New records and taxonomic data for 14 species of sand crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae) from localities worldwide, Zootaxa 2555, pp. 49-61 : 53

Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002

( Figs. 1 C, 2A–D)

Material examined. U.S.A., Hawaii: 200 fathoms (365.8 m), ex opakapaka a.k.a. crimson jobfish ( Pristipomoides filamentosus (Valenciennes)) Little Brooks Bank (ca. 24°– 24°15’N, 166°45’–167°W), northwestern Hawaiian Islands, coll. Capt. W. Strickland on F/V Fortuna, 11 Apr 2005: 1 male, 17.5 mm cl ( BPBM S12265 ).

Distribution. Taiwan; Queensland, Australia; New Caledonia ; Fiji; Hawaii; up to 29.3 m depth (365.8 m, in gut of P. filamentosus ); possibly from Pitcairn Island, in 47.6–54.9 m depth ( Boyko 2002, herein).

Colouration. Carapace, eyes, antennae, and abdomen all generally uniform tan; carapace with darker brown band across medial third; pereopods with iridescent sheen on light tan ground colour; setae dark brown ( Fig. 1 C).

Remarks. Until now, the albuneid fauna of the Hawaiian Islands included only two species: A. speciosa Dana, 1852 and A. danai Boyko, 1999 (see Eldredge & Evenhuis 2003). The condition of the present specimen is remarkably good, considering the source, and the characters of the dactyli of pereopods II-IV and the male telson confirm it as A. bulla ( Figs. 2 A-D). The collection data for this new specimen of A. bulla was initially perplexing in that the species has never been recorded from waters deeper than 29.3 m (or 54.9 m if the species occurs on Pitcairn Island; currently known only from a partial specimen; see Boyko 2002). However, the fact that the fish species from which the Hawaiian specimen of A. bulla was removed has been found generally from 90–360 m depth ( Allen 1985) suggests that perhaps the crab was eaten at shallower depths and transported intus piscis to the depth at which the fish was caught. Nevertheless, it is clear, based on the condition of the specimen, that the crab was relatively recently caught by the fish and not imported to the Hawaiian Islands from an outside locality. The deepest known freely caught albuneids are Austrolepidopa caledonia Boyko & Harvey, 1999 (190–225 m) and an unusually deep-water specimen of Albunea symmysta ( Linnaeus, 1758) from the Philippines (151.5 m).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002 (BPBM S 12265), male, 17.5 mm cl: A, dactylus of right pereopod II; B, dactylus of left pereopod III; C, dactylus of left pereopod IV; D, telson. Albunea paretii Guérin-Méneville, 1853 (FLMNH UF 20177), female, 8.3 mm CL: E, dactylus of right pereopod II; F, dactylus of left pereopod III; G, dactylus of left pereopod IV (tip broken). Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002 (USNM 1138908), female, 12.1 mm CL: H, dactylus of right pereopod II; I, dactylus of left pereopod III; J, dactylus of right pereopod IV. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 1. A, B, Albunea elioti Benedict, 1904 (FLMNH UF 23345), male, 14.6 mm CL; C, Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002 (BPBM S 12265), male, 17.5 mm CL; D, E, Albunea paretii Guérin-Méneville, 1853 (FLMNH UF 20177), female, 8.3 mm CL; F, G, Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002 (USNM 1138908), female, 12.1 mm CL. All photographs by Arthur Anker, except A by Kurt Kawamoto, all specimens photographed shortly after collection.