Philyra samia Galil, 2009, n. sp.
Creators: name: Galil, Bella S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Leucosiidae
Philyra
Philyra samia

description: Philyra samia n. sp.
(Figs 2B; 3)
Philyra globosa – Barnard 1947: 373; 1950: 380, fig. 72f-h. — Kensley 1981: 39.
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: South Africa. Natal, off Tugela River mouth, 22 m, id. K. H. Barnard, 1 ♂ cl 21.6 mm (SAM A8335).
Paratypes:same data as holotype, 3 ♂♂ cl 14.6-16.1 mm, 2 ♀♀ cl 13.1, 17.8 mm (SAM A8335).
ETYMOLOGY. — Named for the South African Museum (SAM), in recognition of its important role in the study and conservation of the South African marine biota. Gender feminine.
DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from the type location, Natal, South Africa.
DESCRIPTION
Dorsal surface of carapace minutely punctuate, bearing closely-spaced minute granules on branchial, intestinal regions. Front strongly deflexed anteriorly, frontal margin bearing triangular denticle medially. Circumference of carapace behind front evenly beaded. Anterior margin of epistome straight, inner angles of afferent branchial canals slightly prominent. Margins of external maxillipeds minutely granulate, exopod subquadrate, shovel-like. Pterygostomian region closely granulate. Anterolateral margin very slightly sinuous, posterolateral margin arcuate.
Thoracic sternites prominently granulate. Anterior margin of abdominal sulcus in male specimens beaded.Fused male abdominal segments 3-6 bearing granulate basal knobs separated by a concavity. Margins of fused abdominal segments in female beaded, first and second segments prominently granulate. Cheliped merus rugose, bearing perliform granules, increasingly smaller distally. Carpus and propodus nearly smooth in female specimens, lower margin of propodus prominently granulate in males. Fingers punctate; inner margins minutely denticulate.Lower margin of merus of last pereiopod minutely granulate; meri of pereiopods 1-3 bear line of increasingly minute granules along ventral margin; carpi and propodi smooth; upper margin of propodus of first pereiopod carinate, propodi of pereiopods unicarinate on upper, lower margins. Male first pleopod with apical process elongate, slightly curved distally, bearing line of cirri distad, subterminal alate and cirrate triangular process, distally curved vermicular tip.
REMARKS
Barnard (1950: 381) may have sensed his specimens differed subtly from the typical form since he conceded that “strict identity with the Indian form can only be proved by examination of the first pleopod ♂ ”. Indeed, comparison with Indian specimens of P. globosa has shown that the apical process of the pleopod of the South African specimen is longer, nearly straight, with triangular subterminal process; its carapace and chelipeds are more distinctly granulate, and the lower margin of first pereiopodal propodus unicarinate.
description: Published as part of Galil, Bella S., 2009, An examination of the genus Philyra Leach, 1817 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Leucosiidae) with descriptions of seven new genera and six new species, pp. 279-320 in Zoosystema 31 (2) on pages 284-286, DOI: 10.5252/z2009n2a4, http://zenodo.org/record/5399261