Galathea tagaro Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia, 2015, n. sp.
Creators: name: Macpherson, Enrique
name: Robainas-Barcia, Aymee
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Galatheidae
Galathea
Galathea tagaro

description: Galathea tagaro n. sp.   
(Figs 108, 121 C)  
 Material examined. Holotype: Vanuatu. SANTO, Stn AT82, 15°31.6'S, 167°12.4'E, 58–59 m, 12 October 2006: 1 F 4.7 mm (MNHN-IU-2013-8365).   
 Paratypes: Vanuatu. SANTO, Stn AT54, 15°32.1'S, 167°14.1'E, 68–79 m, 2 October 2006: 1 ov. F 3.7 mm (MNHN-IU-2013-8366).   
Solomon Islands. SALOMON 1, Stn DW1840, 10°17.0'S, 161°43.0'E, 97–223 m, 0 6 October 2001: 1 M 3.1 mm (MNHN-IU-2013-8367).— SALOMON 2, Stn CP2193, 8°24.4'S, 159°26.7'E, 362–432 m, 24 October 2004: 1 M 3.5 mm, 1 ov. F 2.2 mm (MNHN-IU-2013-8382).  
 Etymology. The name Tagaro, is the Creator in the Vanuatu religion. The name is considered as a substantive in apossition.   
 Description. Carapace: as long as broad; transverse ridges with dense short setae, and some scattered long plumose setae; cervical groove distinct, laterally bifurcated. Gastric region with 7 transverse ridges: 1 epigastric ridge with 2 epigastric spines and medially interrupted; 2 protogastric ridges, anterior ridge medially interrupted, with 1 small parahepatic spine on each side, posterior median ridge short, arcuate, with some long plumose setae; 2 mesogastric ridges, anterior ridge uninterrupted but not extending laterally to anteriormost of branchial marginal spines, posterior ridge median and short; 2 metagastric ridges, anterior ridge uninterrupted (rarely medially interrupted), extending laterally to anterior branchial ridges, posterior ridge well-developed. One small hepatic spine on each side, near first (anterolateral) marginal spine. Anterior branchial region with distinct ridges. Midtransverse ridge uninterrupted, preceded by shallow cervical groove, followed by 6 ridges. Lateral margins well convex medially, with 7 spines: 2 spines in front of, and 5 spines behind, anterior cervical groove; first anterolateral, well-developed, at same level of lateral limit of orbit, second, small, at midlength between anterolateral spine and anterior cervical groove, accompanying another spine ventral to between first and second; 2 spines on anterior branchial region, and 3 spines on posterior branchial margin, last small. Small spine on lateral limit of orbit; infraorbital margin with strong spine. Rostrum 1.6 as long as broad, length 0.5 postorbital carapace length and breadth 0.3 that of carapace; distance between distalmost lateral incisions 0.35 distance between proximalmost lateral incisions; dorsal surface nearly horizontal in lateral view, with some setose scales; lateral margin with 4 deeply incised sharp teeth.   
Pterygostomian flap rugose, unarmed, ridges with short setae, anterior margin acute.  
 Sternum: As long as broad, lateral extremities gently divergent posteriorly.   
 Abdomen: Somites 2–4 each with 2 uninterrupted transverse ridges on tergite; somites 5 and 6 each with short scale-like ridges. Males with G1 and G2.   
 Eyes: Ocular peduncles 1.3 times longer than broad, maximum corneal diameter 0.5 rostrum width.   
 Antennule: Article 1 with 3 well-developed distal spines, distodorsal larger, distomesial spine smaller than others. Ultimate article with tuft of setae on distodorsal margin.   
 Antenna: Article 1 with ventral distomesial spine reaching distal margin of article 2. Article 2 longer than wide, with 2 well-developed subequal distal spines, reaching midlength of article 3. Articles 3 and 4 unarmed.   
 Mxp3: Ischium with small spine on flexor and extensor distal margins; crista dentata with 17–19 denticles. Merus shorter than ischium; flexor margin with 2 subequal spines; extensor margin with small distal spine. Carpus unarmed.   
 P1: 1.7 times carapace length, covered with finely setiferous scales, with numerous long setae. Merus 0.7 times carapace length, 3.7 times as long as carpus, with spines arranged roughly in rows, dorsomesial spines stronger; distal spines prominent. Carpus 0.5 length of palm, 2.1 times as long as broad; dorsal and lateral surfaces with some spines; mesial margin with 3 or 4 spines (distal second strong). Palm twice longer than broad, lateral and mesial margins slightly convex; spines arranged roughly in dorsolateral and dorsomesial rows, some small spines scattered on dorsal side. Fingers as long as palm, fixed and movable fingers with 2 or 3 proximal spines each; each finger distally with two rows of teeth, spooned.   
 P2–4: moderately slender, with setose striae and sparse long plumose setae. P2 1.6 times carapace length. Meri successively shorter posteriorly (P3 merus 0.9 length of P3 merus, P4 merus 0.9 length of P3 merus); P2 merus 0.6 carapace length, 3.7 times as long as broad, 1.2 times longer than P2 propodus. Extensor margin with row of 8 or 9 proximally diminishing spines on P2–3, 1 distal spine on P4; ventral margins distally ending in strong spine followed proximally by 0–1 spines and several eminences, lateral sides with 1 spine on P4. Carpi with 4 or 5 spines on extensor margin on P2–3, 2 spines on P4, distalmost sometimes absent or smaller than distal second; lateral surface with 3 spines sub-paralleling extensor margin; flexor distal margin acute. Propodi 4.5–4.8 times as long as broad; extensor margin with 0–1 proximal spines; flexor margin with 4 movable spines. Dactyli distally ending in well-curved strong spine, length 0.6–0.7 that of propodi; flexor margin with 4 or 5 proximally diminishing teeth, terminal one prominent.   
Epipods absent on pereiopods.  
 Coloration. Base color greenish, with numerous whitish and brownish flecks. P1–4 with transverse whitish and greenish or brownish bands.   
 Remarks. Galathea tagaro is quite similar to G. consobrina De Man, 1902. Differentiating characters among the relevant species are discussed under Remarks of G. consobrina.   
 No genetic data are available for G. tagaro.   
 Distribution. Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, 58– 432 m.
description: Published as part of Macpherson, Enrique & Robainas-Barcia, Aymee, 2015, Species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with descriptions of 92 new species, pp. 1-335 in Zootaxa 3913 (1) on pages 300-302, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3913.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/239230