Lysiosquilla capensis Hansen, 1895

Lysiosquilla capensis Hansen, 1895

( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 )

Lysiosquilla capensis Hansen, 1895: 74 [ type locality Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth].— Stebbing, 1910: 406.— Kemp, 1913: 117.— Parisi, 1922: 105, fig. 3.— Manning, 1963a: 317 [list].— Holthuis, 1967a: 15 [references].— Manning, 1968a: 36 (key); 1969a: 5–6, fig. 1.— Ahyong & Norrington, 1997: 105–106.—Ahyong, 2001: 129 (key).

Lysierichthus pulcher Hansen, 1895: 74 [ type locality St. Helena Bay, Western Cape] [larval form].— Stebbing, 1910: 409.— Barnard, 1950: 856, fig. 4e [larval form].

Material examined. Western Cape: SAMC-A 001335, 1 ♂ (TL 91 mm), False Bay, 34°10’59.9”S 18°37’00.1”E, Sep 1904, depth unknown, S. S. Pieter Faure. SAMC-A 001337, 2 ♂ (TL 43–48mm), St. Sebastian Bay, 34°25’36.3”S 20°54’13.6”E, 22 Jun 1900, 71 m, S.S. Pieter Faure , stat. PF 6047; SAMC-A 001338, 2 ♂ (TL 39–42 mm), Struys Point, 34°51’35.6”S 20°26’55.3”E, 9 Jul 1902, 88 m, S.S. Pieter Faure, PF 15317. Eastern Cape: SAMC-A 001336, 1 ♂ (TL 47 mm), 1 ♀ (TL 45 mm), Bird Island Light House, Gqeberha, 33°54’24.5”S 26°25’42.6”E, 5 Dec 1901, 49 m, stat. P. F. 14156, S.S. Pieter Faure ; SAMC-A 079782, 1 ♂ (TL 112 mm), Coffee Bay, 11 Aug 1974, depth unknown. SAMC-A 079457, 1 ♂ (TL 46 mm), Jeffrey’s Bay, 23 Sep 1987, depth unknown, midwater trawl.

Unknown location: SAMC-A011013 , 1 ♂ (TL 95 mm), data unavailable .

Diagnosis. Ocular scales produced as slender spines, directed anteriorly. A1 somite dorsal processes directed anterolaterally. Rostral plate dorsal surface smooth, without carinae or grooves. A2 protopod with mediodorsal tooth. Mandibular palp present. Raptorial claw dactylus with 15–17 teeth; carpus dorsal tooth directed ventrally, slightly recurved medially. TS8 sternal keel produced as a posteriorly directed spine. Male PLP1 endopod with posterior endite. AS 5–6 posterior margin unarmed. Uropodal protopod with short ventral spine anterior to endopod articulation; endopod apex dark.

Colour in alcohol. Mostly faded, uniform beige to amber brown. Sub-medial bosses of telson and AS 6 dark brown. Cornea dark brown. Raptorial claw merus and propodus as well as uropodal exopod dark brown. One specimen speckled with dark spots completely covering the rostrum, medially on carapace, dorsally on abdominal and thoracic segments as well as on pereopods, telson and uropods. Barnard (1950) records a pinkish colouration. Colour in life unknown .

Measurements. ♂ (n = 8) TL 39–112 mm, ♀ (n = 1) TL 45 mm. CI 275–446. A1 peduncle 0.46–0.67CL. A2 scale 0.41–0.54CL. The present study examined the largest known specimen of the species.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from South African waters, 1– 88 m. Reported from Gqeberha, Agulhas Bank, False Bay, 18–88 m, Knysna Estuary ( Manning 1969a) and now Coffee Bay [EC].

Remarks. Endemic to South Africa, Lysiosquilla capensis has previously been reported on the south coast from False Bay ( Barnard 1950) in the Western Cape to Gqeberha ( Hansen 1895) in the Eastern Cape. The present study extends the range to Coffee Bay on the South African east coast.

Barnard (1950) commented on the ‘abnormal’ semi-circular rostrum form of his largest specimen when compared to Hansen’s (1895) description of the species. After the examination of the material herein, it was concluded that this ‘abnormality’ is possibly the result of damage during molting as occasionally seen in other species. Rostrum shape can appear rounded as well as having a long apical projection ( Fig. 18A, C View FIGURE 18 ). Of the specimens recorded, only the illustrated male exhibits the rounded rostrum variation. Relatively large specimens up to 91 mm total length have a rostrum with an apical projection. Hence this variation appears to have no connection to size, as previously suggested by Barnard (1950).

Although the specimens studied herein have either 15 or 16 teeth on the raptorial claw of the dactylus, 17 teeth have been previously recorded for a specimen from Knysna Estuary, South Africa ( Manning 1969a). Lysiosquilla capensis is most similar to L. colemani Ahyong, 2001 , Australia. Lysiosquilla capensis differs from L. colemani in having a greater number of teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw (15–17 instead of the 11–14 of L. colemani ) and the presence of a mandibular palp versus the absence of the mandibular palp in L. colemani (Ahyong 2001) . However, the present series of both species exhibits a near overlap in teeth number reflected in the key above. Another recorded difference between the species is depth habitat. Lysiosquilla capensis is associated with shallow depths, while L. colemani has never been recorded from the shallow intertidal.