Clorida sp.

Clorida sp.

( Fig. 22 View FIGURE 22 )

Clorida sp. —Brokensha et al., 2023: 154–156, fig. 4.

Material examined. KZN: SAMC-A079464 , 1 ♀ (TL 22 mm), 29°19’48.0”S 31°26’12.1”E, 10 Sep 1964, 38 m GoogleMaps ; SAMC-A079439 , 2 ♀ (TL 53 and 47 mm), 29°10.9’S 31°42.8’E, 25 May 1976, 40 m, beam trawl, stat GoogleMaps . SM114 , RV Meiring Naude.

Other material examined. MOZAMBIQUE: SAMC-A006796 , 1 ♂ (TL 64 mm), 2 ♀ (TL 47, 53 mm); Mozambique (precise location data unavailable), depth unknown. 1924; J.D.F. Gilchrist leg.

Diagnosis. A1 somite dorsal processes with short, triangular apices.A2 peduncle segment 1 extending anteriorly beyond eyes. Carapace with anterolateral spines. Raptorial claw dactylus with 5 teeth; outer proximal margin with basal notch. Mandibular palp 3-segmented. TS5 lateral process a short slender lobe, apex spiniform, with small ventral spine. TS6 lateral process broadly rounded. TS7 lateral process subtruncate; anterolateral and posterolateral angles obtusely rounded. AS (1)2–5 with low SM carinae. AS 6 with distinct SM carinae. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: SM 6, IM 5–6, LT 5–6, MG (4)5. Telson dorsolateral surface with widely-spaced rows of tubercles; SM teeth with fixed apices; margin of IM and LT teeth faintly crenulate to strongly tuberculate; denticles SM 4–6, IM 5–8, LT 1; ventral surface with long postanal carina extending beyond half distance between anal pore and posterior margin. Uropodal protopod outer margin crenulate to serrate (smooth in one example); inner margin with 3–6 slender spines. Uropodal exopod proximal segment outer margin with 6–8 movable spines; distal segment longer than proximal segment; with black patch at articulation of exopod segments.

Colour in alcohol. Mostly faded from dark brown to pale amber, appearing mottled grey-brown in most recently collected specimen. Uropodal exopod with darker patch at articulation of proximal and distal segments.

Colour in life unknown.

Measurements. ♂ (n = 1) TL 64 mm, ♀ (n = 5) TL 22–53 mm. A1 peduncle 0.780–1.18CL. A2 scale 0.45– 0.49CL.

Distribution and habitat. Only recorded from southern Africa; Mozambique (Brokensha et al. 2023) and South Africa [KZN].

Remarks. A revision of the ‘ Clorida complex’ ( Ahyong & Naiyanetr 2000) has prompted the re-examination of the present material previously identified as C. latrellei in the museum collection. The present specimens from South Africa and Mozambique are most similar to Clorida albolitura described from the Gulf of Thailand ( Ahyong & Naiyanetr 2000), recorded from the Indian Ocean and most recently in the Mediterranean as an invasive species ( Ahyong & Galil 2006). Clorida albolitura is morphologically distinguished from C. latrellei Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842 by the length of the postanal carina of the telson extending beyond half the distance between the anal pore and posterior margin. This characteristic long postanal carina is shared by the present specimens ( Fig. 22G, H View FIGURE 22 ). Sexual dimorphism has been well-illustrated for species of Clorida ( Ahyong & Naiyanetr 2000) with the telson carinae becoming inflated in males, more so for C. latreillei than for C. albolitura . The degree of inflation, however, in the adult male specimen examined herein is significantly greater than that exhibited by C. albolitura , and instead resembles that of an adult male of C. latreillei .

Furthermore, a previously unreported and unusual variation in the present material is the uropodal protopod outer margin usually being crenulate or serrate ( Fig. 22F, I View FIGURE 22 ) instead of relatively smooth, as in C. latreillei and C. albolitura . This feature, coupled with the degree of inflation of the telson teeth carinae, as well as the long post-anal keel, suggests that the specimens represent an undescribed species. The postanal carina appears more pronounced in the female specimens examined in the present series, but examination of more material is needed before this comment can be established as significant.