Danalia vesica, Boyko & Van Der Meij, 2018

DANALIA VESICA View in CoL SP. NOV.

( FIG. 7A, B)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:728A215D-468D-433C-A36E-9380E436C9A8

Type material

Mature non-ovigerous holotype female (3.3 mm long × 2.5 mm wide) (RMNH.Crus. I.1742), on carapace of female H.marsupialis Stimpson, 1859 (3.0 mm long × 3.0 mm wide), (RMNH.Crus.D.57235), ex unknown host coral (probably Pocilloporidae , because it is the only known host family for this gall crab species), Mamba Bawi, east coast of Zanzibar, 19 September 1970, coll. A. J. Bruce.

Description

Female ( Fig. 7A, B): 3.3 mm long; mature female nearly circular in dorsal view, body weakly cuticularized, sac like; body not recurved; convex dorsally and concave ventrally, conforming to the dorsal surface of the host carapace; surface without lobes but with irregular folds dorsally; internal segmentation not visible; anteroventral shield small. Trunk short, inserted into body near centre of ventral surface; attachment lobes, apparently only two, short and slender, covering small portion of ventral surface of host carapace. Directly parasitizing cryptochirid host on ventral surface of carapace.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Latin for blad- der or balloon, in reference to the female resembling a deflated balloon.

Remarks

This species, known presently only from the female holotype, can be distinguished from its closest relative, D. hapalocarcini , by the characters given in the Remarks for that species. The presence of only two attachment processes instead of the usual four is unusual but, because there is only the single specimen known, needs confirmation as a species-specific character through collection and examination of additional specimens.

Known host

Hapalocarcinus marsupialis Stimpson, 1859 View in CoL . Distribution

Known only from Zanzibar.