Oratosquilla mauritiana ( Kemp, 1913 )

Oratosquilla mauritiana ( Kemp, 1913)

Squilla mauritiana Kemp, 1913: 68 [ type locality Mauritius].— Manning, 1968a: 28–29, fig. 9.

Squilla juxtaoratoria Ward, 1942: 55 .

Oratosquilla mauritiania .— Manning, 1968b: 135 (list).—Ahyong, 2000: 929; 2001: 283 (key).

Material examined. No material available for study.

Previously examined South African material. Eastern Cape: SAMC-A018815 , 2 ♀ (TL 130 mm), Algoa Bay, 11–29 m, stat. TBD. PM 3 and 137, coll. R. V. Thomas B. Davie .

Diagnosis. Dorsum largely smooth, at most finely punctate. A1 somite dorsal processes triangular, apices acute, directed anterolaterally. Rostral plate appearing elongate, slightly broader than long with upturned lateral margins; apex rounded. Carapace with anterior bifurcation of MD carina uninterrupted basally and opening anterior to the dorsal pit. Raptorial claw merus with outer inferodistal spine; dactylus with 6 teeth. Mandibular palp present. 4 epipods present. TS6 lateral process distinctly bilobed: anterior lobe slender and short; triangular; apex sharp; posterior lobe broad and long, triangular; apex sharp. TS7 lateral process bilobed with anterior lobe small, obtuse, apex blunt; posterior lobe much larger, triangular, apex blunt. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: SM 4–6, IM 2–6, LT 1–6, MG 1–5. Telson longer than broad with prelateral lobe present; denticles rounded SM 4–5, IM 7–8, LT 1. Uropodal exopod proximal segment outer margin with 9 movable spines.

Colour in alcohol. Madagascan specimens described as largely faded, except for dark colouration of uropods; uropodal exopod with proximal segment distal half dark, inner margin on distal segment with proximal half dark; endopod distal half dark ( Manning, 1968a). Colour in life unknown.

Measurements. ♀ (n = 2) TL 130 mm. The specimen recorded from South Africa ( Kensley & Buxton 1984) is the largest reported specimen of the species at TL 130 mm.

Distribution. Only known from Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Europa Island, Mauritius and South Africa; shallow intertidal to 29 m (present study).

Remarks. Oratosquilla mauritiana is distinguished from other species in the genus by the combination of relatively smooth dorsum, armed SM carinae of AS 4–6, and blunt anterior lobe of TS7 lateral process. Manning (1968a) first described O. mauritiana from a Madagascan specimen which shared features with two Mauritian specimens originally thought to be O. oratoria Kemp, 1913 . Furthermore, Ward’s (1942) Squilla juxtaoratoria from Mauritius was found to be a synonym of O. mauritiana ( Manning, 1968a) .

The only South African record of O. mauritiana by Kensley & Buxton (1984) is a sparse account merely stating that the species is a new record for South Africa. While it is possible that the identification is correct, given previous distributional records of the species from the Western Indian Ocean, the account remains doubtful. The specimen deposited in the Iziko South African Museum as the basis of record could not be found and must be considered lost.