Paralomis stella Macpherson, 1988

Hall, Sally & Thatje, Sven, 2010, King crabs up-close: ontogenetic changes in ornamentation in the family Lithodidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura), with a focus on the genus Paralomis, Zoosystema 32 (3), pp. 495-524 : 508

Paralomis stella Macpherson, 1988 ( Fig. 9 )

Paralomis stella Macpherson, 1988c: 118 , fig. 1, pl. 1A-C.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Réunion Island, 350- 937 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 6 ♀♀ (CL 39-49 mm), 7 šš (CL 17-86 mm).

SPECIMENS FIGURED. — Réunion Island, 350-750 m, 28.VIII.1982, 1 šCL 24.5 mm ( MNHN Pg-4257). — Réunion Islands, 450-937 m, 24.VIII.1982, 1 š CL 71.3 mm ( MNHN Pg-4255).

REMARKS

Paralomis stella , from the south-eastern Indian Ocean, has a very similar adult spine morphotype, and a comparable ontogenetic progression to P.mendagnai . In both groups, the CL 10-25 mm size class have conical, spiniform tubercles, although in P. stella , none of the spines on the carapace are consistently enlarged in comparison to others on the same specimen. Adults larger than CL 30 mm have regular, rounded tubercles with pits (possibly minute setae) dispersed across the apex.

Figures

FIG. 9. — Paralomis stella Macpherson, 1988: A, B, š CL 24.5 mm (MNHN Pg-4257), Réunion Island, 350-750 m, 28.VIII.1982; C, D, holotype š 71.3 mm (MNHN Pg-4255); A, carapace, dorsal view; B, mid-branchial spines, left lateral view; C, carapace, dorsal view; D, mid-branchial tubercle, dorsal view. Scale bars: A, C, 5 mm; B, 0.5 mm; D, 1 mm.