Harpiosquilla Holthuis, 1964

Harpiosquilla Holthuis, 1964 View in CoL View at ENA

Harpiosquilla Holthuis, 1964: 140 View in CoL . [ Type species Squilla harpax de Haan, 1844 , by original designation. Gender feminine].

Diagnosis. Eye large, T-shaped, cornea width less than 0.30 CL, strongly bilobed, distinctly broader than and set transversely on stalk. Ocular scales broad, rounded or truncate; separate. A1 somite not greatly elongate; dorsal processes slender, with acute apices, directed anterolaterally. Carapace with anterolateral spines; with normal complement of carinae, or without MD carina; MD carina interrupted, anterior bifurcation absent; posterolateral margin deeply excavate. Raptorial claw dactylus with 7–9 teeth; carpus dorsal carina absent; merus without outer inferodistal spine. Mandibular palp 3-segmented. MXP1–5 each with epipod. PLP1 endopod in adult males with posterior endite; hook process with distal point. TS6–8 with IM and usually with SM carinae. TS5 lateral process single; ventral process directed ventrally. TS6–7 lateral processes single or bilobed. AS 1–5 usually with normal complement of carinae, or without SM carinae. Telson SM teeth with fixed apices in adults; prelateral lobe present; dorsolateral surface without supplementary longitudinal carinae. Uropodal protopod inner margin crenulate.

Composition. Harpiosquilla annandalei ( Kemp, 1911) ; H. harpax (de Haan, 1844) ; H. indica Manning, 1969d ; H. japonica Manning, 1969d ; H. melanoura Manning, 1968a ; H. raphidea ( Fabricius, 1798) ; H. sinensis Liu & Wang, 1998 ; H. stephensoni Manning, 1969d .

Remarks. Of the eight species of Harpiosquilla , one is known from South African waters. Ahyong (2001) found high variability in some features thought to be diagnostic for species of Harpiosquilla . Variation of the apical spine of the rostral plate is confirmed by the present study. The relative lengths of the marginal and lateral carinae of the telson were also found to be variable in all species examined and reported on from Australia, with H. harpax having the lateral carina varying from 0.33–0.50 the length of the marginal carina (Ahyong 2001).