Trapezia flavopunctata Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842

Trapezia flavopunctata Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842 View in CoL [Jn: Arame-sangogani]

( Fig. 1A View Fig )

Trapezia flavo-punctata Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842, p.230 View in CoL , pl. 2 fig. 3.

Trapezia latifrons A. Milne-Edwards, 1867, p. 281 View in CoL ; 1873, p. 259, pl. 10 fig. 7.

Trapezia flavopunctata View in CoL : Forest & Guinot, 1961, p.136, fig. 138. — Edmondson, 1962, p.300, figs. 31d, 32a. — Ooishi, 1970, p. 94, pl. 15 fig. 10. — Sakai, 1976, pp. 507 (in key) & 510 (in English), p.315 (in Japanese), pl. 182 fig. 4. — Chen & Lan, 1978, p.281, fig. 12. — Serène, 1984, pp.270 & 271 (in keys), 276, fig. 183, pl. 42 fig. A. — Galil & Lewinsohn, 1985, p.210. — Dai & Yang, 1991, pp.380 (in key), 384, pl. 51 fig. 8. — Castro, 1997a, pp.81, 96 (in key); 1997b, p.121; 1999, p.109; 2011, p.80. — Muraoka, 1998, p.46. — Higashiji et al., 2013, p.87, fig. 2G.

Material examined. Chichi-jima Is. —Ototojima I., 1 juv. Ə (NSMT-Cr 31645; cb 10.1×cl 7.3 mm), 18-IV-1975, Kuwabara leg.

Haha-jima Is. —Diving site Blue Ribbon (26°34′03″N, 142°12′48″E), Imoto-jima I., 15–17 m, 1 juv. (NSMT-Cr 31646; cb 6.0×cl 4.5 mm), 1 juv. (NSMT-Cr 31647; cb 7.5×cl 5.8 mm), 11-VII-2016, H. Komatsu leg.; Dividing site Hirane (26°34′08″N, 142°12′49″E), Imoto-jima I., 20–25 m, 1 juv. (NSMT-Cr 31649; cb 7.0×cl 5.5 mm), 14-VII-2016, H. Komatsu leg.

Remarks. The carapace shape and spotted pattern of two juvenile specimens at hand ( Fig. 1A View Fig ) are quite different from the colored original figure ( Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842, pl. 2 fig. 3) which was reproduced by Castro et al. (2004, pl. 3 fig. C), and completely agreeable with the monochrome figure of the juvenile specimen of T. latifrons described by A. Milne-Edwards (1867), which is synonymous with this species. The difference of the carapace shape may be referred to the juvenile stage generally known in the Trapezia species; in the smaller individuals, the carapace is wider anteriorly to show reverse triangular appearance. The fewer, only some white spots may be also due to the juvenile stage. The fine color photograph with many white spots on the carapace of the larger specimen is seen in Higashiji et al. (2013, fig. 2G), and also the similar color photographs were published in some guide books published in Japan, e.g., Takeda (1975, 1 unnumbered fig.), Nagai and Nomura (1988, unnumbered fig.), and Minemizu (2000, 1 unnumbered fig.). The monochrome photograph of a specimen from the Ogasawara Islands ( Ooishi, 1970, pl. 15 fig. 10) shows, without doubt, the same pattern having many spots on the carapace, chelipeds and ambulatory legs.

Distribution. Indo-West Pacific except for the Red Sea; the western Indian Ocean eastwards to French Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands and Japan in the Pacific Ocean.