Ceratoplax fulgida Rathburn 1914
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Clark, Paul F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Pilumnidae
Ceratoplax
Ceratoplax fulgida

description: Ceratoplax fulgida Rathbun, 1914   
 (Figs 3; 4 D-I) Ceratoplax fulgida Rathbun, 1914: 146. — Tesch 1918: 55 (key); Serène 1968: 91 (list). — Ng 1987: 78, 88 (discussion). — Ng et al. 2008: 143 (list).   
 TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Near Marinduque Island, ♂, 7.1 × 4.3 mm, (USNM 46401). Paratype: 1 ♀, 6.3 × 4.1 mm, (USNM 46401), stn 5371, near Marinduque Island: Tayabas Light (outer), north 43° west, 6 miles, 13°49’40”N, 121°40’15”E, 83 fms, coll. R. V. Albatross, 24.II.1909.   
DIAGNOSIS. — Carapace transversely subovate, width 1.54-1.65 × length; dorsal surfaces smooth, glabrous, regions poorly demarcated, H-shaped gastric grooves barely discernible; anterolateral margin strongly convex, entire to weakly dentate with three small clefts, reaching along ⅔ of lateral margin, submarginal parts smooth, not clearly demarcated from posterolateral margin; posterolateral margins gently concave, gradually converging to gently convex posterior carapace margin (Figs 3A; 4H, I). Frontal margin weakly divided into two low subtruncate lobes from dorsal view, gently confluent with supraorbital margin; with low external orbital tooth (Figs 3A; 4H, I). Orbit ovate, small, eyes with small cornea, fused to carapace, immovable (Fig. 3B). Posterior margin of epistome gently convex, not clearly divided into lobes (Fig. 3B). Anteroexternal angle of merus of third maxilliped with rounded auriculiform structure; exopod stout (Fig. 4G). Male thoracic sternum wide, sternites 1 and 2 completely fused to form wide triangular structure; separated from fused sternites 3 and 4 by distinct sinuous suture (Fig. 3C). Male abdomen T-shaped; somite 6 rectangular, wider than long; telson triangular, elongate, much longer than somite 6 (Fig. 3C). Chelipeds stout, carpus with subdentiform inner angle and tuft of setae, outer angle sharp but not spiniform or dentiform; chela stout, fingers shorter than palm (Fig. 3A, D, E). Ambulatory legs, long; articles slender, unarmed; dactylus of last leg upcurved (Fig. 3A). G1 distinctly sinuous, subdistal part gently merging with tapering tip that is gently bent, opening slender (Fig. 4 D-F).  
TYPE LOCALITY. — Tayabas Light (outer), near Marinduque Island, north 43° west, 6 miles, 13°49’40”N, 121°40’15”E.  
DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from the type locality.  
REMARKS  
 The type series for this species (and the only known specimens) is represented by a male and a female, but it is by no means certain both are conspecific. Although the female paratype specimen looks similar to the male holotype, its anterolateral margin has small clefts marking four low and broad lobes (Fig. 4I). In the holotype male, the anterolateral margin is entire (Figs 3A; 4H). Whether this is mere variation can only be ascertained with more material. See discussion for Ceratoplax margarita n. sp.
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Clark, Paul F., 2015, Ceratoplax margarita n. sp., a new rhizopine crab (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pilumnidae) from Papua New Guinea, with rediagnoses of C. truncatifrons Rathbun, 1914, and C. fulgida Rathbun, 1914, pp. 323-331 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on pages 325-327, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a2, http://zenodo.org/record/5155702