Camatopsis africana Ng & Castro, 2016, n. sp.
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Castro, Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Chasmocarcinidae
Camatopsis
Camatopsis africana

description: Camatopsis africana n. sp.
(Figs. 7 A, B; 36A, B; 23C; 30B; 38G‒J; 51B; 58B; 67G‒I; 86B; 90B; 100C, D)
Type material. Holotype male (6.8 × 7.7 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1500), Mozambique, Mozambique Channel, MAINBAZA, stn CC3174, 25°33’S, 33°13’E, 253–262 m., 17.04.2009.
Paratypes: MAINBAZA: 1 female (5.6 × 6.2 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008-10287) [photographed], Maputo transect, stn CP3133, 29°11’S 36°10’E, 200‒201 m, 10.04.2009; 1 male (4.2 × 4.7 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1501), Zambezi transect, stn CC3150, 19°31’S, 36°46’E, 261–264 m, 13.04.2009; 1 female (8.3 × 9.8 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008- 10286) [photographed], Zambezi transect, stn CC3151, 19°34’S, 36°45’E, 352–357 m, 13.04.2009; 1 female (9.4 × 11.0 mm) (MNHN-IU-2008-10288) [photographed], Mozambique Channel, stn CC3174, 25°33’S, 33°13’E, 253– 262 m, 17.04.2009; 1 male (5.7 × 6.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1574); MIRIKY: stn DW3238, 14°29’S, 47°27’E, 48–139 m, 06.07.2009; 2 females (6.1 × 7.2 mm, 8.2 × 9.6 mm) (MNHN-IU-2010-1033), off Nazeandry Bay, stn CP3289, 14°29’S, 47°26’E, 332–379 m, 14.07.2009.
Other material examined. Madagascar. ATIMO VATAE: 1 male (MNHN-IU-2010-4367), stn DW3529, 24°24’S, 47°33’E, 402–407 m, 01.05.2010; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2010-4358), stn DW3582, 25°32’S, 44°16’E, 10.05.2010; 4 males, 7 females (ZRC 2015.210), 2 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4360), stn CP3583, 25°31’S, 44°16’E, 296–302 m, 10.05.2010; 2 males, 3 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4370c), stn CP3590, 25°03’S, 43°59’E, 300–309 m, 11.05.2010; 1 male, 3 females (MNHN-IU-2010-4363), stn CP3591, 25°03’S, 43°58’E, 400–402 m, 11.05.2010.
Diagnosis. Carapace (Figs. 7 A, B; 100C, D) subtrapezoidal, 1.1‒1.2 wider than long; front bilobed, with shallow median cleft; anterolateral margins arcuate, minutely granular with granules higher along lateral margins, without distinct lobes or teeth. Eye peduncle (Fig. 23 C) filling orbit, short, slightly mobile; cornea reduced, with reduced pigmentation. Posterior margin of epistome (Fig. 23 C) with semicircular median lobe with deep median fissure, semicircular lateral margins. Third maxilliped (Fig. 30 B) merus subquadrate, ischium slightly elongated, about same length as merus. Proportionally short ambulatory legs (Fig. 7 A, B), P5 merus 0.6 cl. Chelipeds (Figs. 7 A, B; 100C, D; 38G‒J) subequal in length, slightly dissimilar in females, heteromorphic in males. Major chela of males (Fig. 38 G) with thick propodus, cutting margins with wide teeth. Minor chela of both sexes (Fig. 38 H) with short teeth of about same size (one long, sharp tooth that overlaps dactylus when closed in largest paratype female). Inner margin of cheliped carpus with tooth in males, smooth in females. Fused thoracic sternites 1, 2 (Fig. 51 B) triangular, proportionally narrow, short. Male pleon (Figs. 51 B; 58B) with quadrate somite 6; proportionally short telson. G1 (Fig. 67 G, H) stout, distal segment gently curved, distal segment curved inwards towards sternum, with short to long spinules. G2 (Fig. 67 I) about 3/4 G1 length, straight, slender, distal segment short, straight. Female pleon (Fig. 86 B) with lateral margins of somites strongly convex; telson proportionally short. Sterno-pleonal cavity of female (Fig. 90 B) moderately deep, vulvae far apart from each other.
Colour. The carapace is yellowish-white to light brown or bright pink in life, the chelipeds and distal articles of the ambulatory legs white (Fig. 100 C, D).
Etymology. The species is named after the continent of Africa to denote its western Indian Ocean distribution.
Remarks. Diagnostic for the new species are of sharp teeth (or only one in the largest two females) that overlap the dactylar finger of the minor chela when closed (Fig. 38 H) as in most congeners, a median lobe of the epistome that is slightly shorter than in congeners (Fig. 23 C), a more quadrate carapace than in C. rubida (Fig. 7 A, B), relatively shorter ambulatory legs (Fig. 7 A, B), and the merus of the third maxilliped is more subquadrate with the ischium slightly elongated (Fig. 30 B).
Camatopsis africana is closest to C. rubida s. str. in the form of the G1, with both species found in the Indian Ocean. The distal part of the G 1 in large specimens of C. africana is nevertheless relatively less elongated, with relatively fewer long spinules (Fig. 67 G, H versus Fig. 67 D, E). Camatopsis africana nevertheless can be easily separated from C. rubida by its proportionately shorter ambulatory legs (Fig. 7 A, B versus Fig. 6), and the male pleonite 6 being proportionately narrower (Fig. 51 B versus Fig. 51 A).
The photograph of a large, freshly collected female (9.4 × 11.0 mm, MNHN-IU-2008-10288) showed purplish spots on the pleon.
Distribution. Western Indian Ocean (Mozambique, Madagascar). Depth: 48‒ 407 m.
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016, Revision of the family Chasmocarcinidae Serène, 1964 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Goneplacoidea), pp. 1-182 in Zootaxa 4209 (1) on pages 37-39, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4209.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/272646