Holthuija aussie Ng &amp; Forges 2015, n. sp.
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Forges, Bertrand Richer De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Majidae
Holthuija
Holthuija aussie

description: <i>Holthuija aussie</i> n. sp. (Figs. 25B–D, 26D, 37I, 40H, 42E, 46E, 54H, 56F) <i>Maja suluensis</i> – Poore et al., 2008: 62. (not <i>Maja suluensis</i> Rathbun, 1916). (not <i>Maja suluensis</i> Rathbun, 1916). <b>Material examined.</b> Holotype: ovigerous female (42.1 × 34.4 mm) (NMV J63752), Arafura Sea, 10°58.03’S 136°47.82’E, 107–108 m, coll. B. A. Glasby, CSIRO RV <i>Southern Surveyor</i>, 17 October 2012. Others: 1 juvenile female (14.3 × 11.9 mm [right branchial region with bopyrid parasite) (NMV J61058), Imperieuse L 23 Transect, northwestern Australia, 18°27.62’S 120°08.68’E – 18°27.72’S 120°08.68’E, 80–81 m, coll. M. Gomon, CSIRO RV <i>Southern Surveyor</i>, 19 June 2007. — 1 juvenile female (11.9 × 9.1 mm) (NMV J63958), off Red Bluff, Western Australia, 24°02.62’S 113°01.62’E – 24°02.83’S 113°01.73’E, 100 m, coll. G. Poore, CSIRO RV <i>Southern Surveyor</i>, 8 December 2005. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Carapace covered with small granules (Fig. 25B–D). Pseudorostral spines long, diverging (Fig. 37I). Antorbital spine long, sharp, strongly curved upwards and anteriorly; intercalated spine triangular, with distinct gaps on each side; postorbital spine long, strong; hepatic spine short; median row with 5 long spines: 2 gastric, 3 cardiac (2 may be small in young specimens) (Figs. 25B–D, 37I). Lateral margin with 3 long spines increasing towards posterior; 1 very long branchial spine; 2 long upwardly directed spines on posterior carapace margin (Fig. 25B–D). Basal antennal article with 2 big blunt distal teeth; on inner margin 2 lobate teeth; external margin serrulated (Fig. 40H). Epistome with 2 tubercles on anterior margin (Fig. 40H). G1 not known. <b>Etymology.</b> The species is named after a common nickname for Australians – “Aussie”. The name is used as a noun in apposition. <b>Remarks.</b> <i>Holthuija aussie</i> n. sp. is the only species of the <i>Maja</i> group to possess three cardiac spines. The holotype of the species comes from the northwestern Australian coast, in the Arafura Sea, very close to Indonesian waters. The identities of two juvenile specimens (J61058 and J53958) collected at 18°S and 24°S, is uncertain as they differ from the type in several aspects. The following differences are observed: the antorbital spine is not as curved in the juveniles as found in the adults; there are wide gaps on each side of the intercalated spine in the juveniles versus narrow gaps in the adults; all the lateral spines are shorter in the juvenile specimens; only one cardiac spine versus 3 in the adult; the distal spines on the basal antennal article are shorter and not so sharp; the cornea shape is different, being more elongate in the juveniles. They could belong to a new species but as neither specimens are adult, it was decided that this was best left to a later date when better material becomes available. They are here provisionally referred to <i>Holthuija aussie</i> for convenience.
description: Published as part of <i>Ng, Peter K. L. &amp; Forges, Bertrand Richer De, 2015, Revision of the spider crab genus Maja Lamarck, 1801 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majoidea: Majidae), with descriptions of seven new genera and 17 new species from the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific, pp. 110-225 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63</i> on pages 163-164, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5384590
description: {"references": ["Poore GCB, McCallum AW &amp; Taylor J (2008) Decapod Crustacea of the continental margin of southwestern and central Western Australia: preliminary identifications of 524 species from FRV Southern Surveyor voyage SS 10 - 2005. Museum Victoria Science Reports, 11: 1 - 106.", "Rathbun MJ (1916) New species of crabs of the families Inachidae and Parthenopidae. Scientific results of the Philippine Cruise of the Fisheries Steamer \" Albatross, \" 1907 - 1910. - No. 34. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 50 (2135): 527 - 559."]}