Quollastria gonypetes ( Kemp, 1911 )

Quollastria gonypetes ( Kemp, 1911)

Squilla gonypetes Kemp, 1911: 96 [type locality restricted to vicinity of Cheduba Islands , Burma, by lectotype selection

( Manning 1978c)].— Kemp, 1913: 3, 10, 22, 54, pl. 4, figs. 42–44 (part).— Stephenson, 1962: 35.— Manning, 1965: 250–

253, pl. 11: fig. b. Oratosquilla gonypetes .— Manning, 1971b: 14; 1978c: 7, 12–14, fig. 5. – Graham et al., 1993a: 24, 64. Oratosquillina gonypetes .— Manning, 1995: 25, 228. Quollastria gonypetes .— Ahyong, 2001: 304–306, fig. 147.— Liu, 2008: (list).

Material examined. No material available for study.

Previous records of South African material. KZN: 1 ♂ (TL 52 mm), off Durban, 29°34’00.0”S 31°39’00.0”E, 9 Sep 1964, 118 m, NAD 40 P, UCT Ecological Survey, det. Manning (1969a) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis (Ahyong 2001). Dorsal integument evenly pitted, rugose. A1 somite dorsal processes with spiniform apices, directed anterolaterally. Carapace with branches of anterior bifurcation of MD carina distinct in adults. Raptorial claw dactylus usually with 5 teeth (occasionally with 6 or 7). MXP1–4 each with epipod. TS8 sternal keel rounded, distinct to near obsolete. AS 5 with mid-dorsal pair of large dark squares. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: SM 5– 6, IM (2)3–6, LT (1)2–6, MG 1–5. Telson prelateral lobe as long as (in juveniles) or shorter than (in adults) margin of LT tooth; LT carina long, extending to or slightly beyond mid-length of prelateral lobe in adults; dorsolateral surface without accessory MD carina but with curved rows of pits, pits combined in adults to form longitudinal grooves with low intervening carinae; denticles SM 3–4, IM 5–9, LT 1. Uropodal protopod with rounded lobe on outer margin of inner terminal spine. Uropodal exopod proximal segment outer margin with 7–10 movable spines; distal segment slightly longer than proximal segment; dark on inner half only.

Colour in alcohol. Faded, but with dark patches still visible on AS 2–5 ( Manning 1969a).

Colour in life (after Ahyong 2001). Overall dorsal colour light brown with scattered dark chromatophores over entire surface. Rostral plate with orange-red margins. Carapace with dark carinae and grooves; median carina, gastric grooves and median posterior margin red. TS5–8 and AS 1–5 with red median tubercles and submedian carinae. AS 1–5 with IM carinae red medially. AS 2 with diffuse black, transverse rectangular bar overlain by red. AS 5 with black square lateral to each SM carina. Telson with carinae of primary teeth red, that of LT tooth red to level of apex of prelateral lobe; MD carina with red posterior spine. Uropodal protopod with terminal spines and carinae red; endopod white-yellow with distal 0.5 black; exopod proximal segment black distally, outer spines red; exopod distal segment black on inner 0.75, remainder yellow. A1 peduncle segment 1 dark-brown laterally, segments 2 and 3 with narrow dark-brown band distally. A2 protopod dark-brown laterally. A2 scale with scattered brown chromatophores anteriorly and posteriorly; distal margin yellow. Raptorial claw merus with dark-brown dorsolateral margin.

Measurements. ♂ (n = 1) TL 52 mm. Ahyong (2001) records the largest known specimen at TL 104 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Indo-West Pacific, known with certainty from the Western Indian Ocean, India, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam to Japan. From sandy-mud substrates at moderate depths of 40– 110 m.

Remarks. Several diagnostic features of Quollastria gonypetes vary with size ( Manning 1978c; Ahyong 2001). In his extensive study of the species from Australia, Ahyong (2001) found that the distinguishing branches of the anterior bifurcation of the MD carina of the carapace are hardly visible in small specimens (< 55 mm) and become more distinct with size. Other features found to vary with size include width of the lateral processes of TS6, distinctiveness of the telson carinae and lobe size between the spines of the uropodal protopod. Further variation was found in number of teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw; most specimens bear 5 teeth on the dactylus, but occasionally specimens from Australia and Taiwan have 6 teeth on one or both claws (Ahyong 2001).

In his review of the species that constituted Oratosquilla at the time, Manning (1978c) re-examined specimens from various localities, finding four different species represented in the material previously considered to be Quollastria gonypetes . Specimens referred to Q. gonypetes from Madagascar (as Oratosquilla ) ( Manning 1968a, 1970a), were named as O. turbata Manning, 1978c , which was subsequently synonymized with Q. subtilis by Ahyong (2001).

As remarked by Manning (1978c), the species identification of specimens from the limits of the distribution of Q. gonypetes , such as Japan and South Africa, is not resolved and the record from Durban requires confirmation. This record of Q. gonypetes from Durban could be based on Q. subtilis given that this species is already known from Madagascar. Kemp (1911) and Manning (1965) commented on the differences of the spination of the IM ( AS 3–6) and LT ( AS 2–6) carinae of the abdominal somites of this 52 mm male specimen. Although within the range of variation recorded subsequently ( Manning 1978c; Ahyong 2001), re-examination would be desirable. Unfortunately, neither the original specimen, nor newly collected material, of Q. gonypetes could be found in the Iziko collection.