Scalopidia indica Ng & Castro, 2013, n. sp.
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Castro, Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Scalopidiidae
Scalopidia
Scalopidia indica

description: Scalopidia indica n. sp.
(Figs. 2 E, F, 5B, 6B, 7E–F, 8C, 9C, D, 10B, 11C, D, 12E–H)
Scalopidia spinosipes.—Henderson 1893: 379.—Alcock 1900: 325.—Laurie 1906: 424.—Chopra 1935: 513.—Davie et al. 2002: 332.—Guinot et al. 2013: 118, 294 (part).
Material examined. Holotype —male (15.3× 21.7 mm) (ZRC 1999.0136a), Andaman Sea, Pichai Fish Port, Phuket, western Thailand, coll. trawlers, P.K.L. Ng, April 1999.
Paratypes — Thailand: 1 male (11.1× 15.4 mm) (ZRC 1999.0136b), same data as holotype.— 1 male (16.3× 22.6 mm) (ZRC 1999.212), Andaman Sea, Pichai Fish Port, Phuket, coll. trawlers, P.K.L. Ng, April 1999. Peninsular Malaysia: 1 female (10.0× 13.1 mm) (ZRC 1992.10459–10461), Penang, Langkawi.— 1 male (9.7× 13.2 mm), 2 females (10.7× 13.7 mm, 10.0× 13.1 mm) (ZRC 1992.10459–10461), Andaman Sea, between Penang and Langkawi, trawl, coll. C.P. How & C.O. Lau, 12 November 1991.— 1 female (13.1× 17.8 mm) (ZRC 1993.261), Andaman Sea, Batu Maung, Penang, coll. trawlers, H.R. Singh, 20 September 1982.
Diagnosis. Carapace subovate, lateral margins convex (Fig. 2 E, F); dorsal surface uneven with regions of different convexities (Figs. 2 E, F, 5B); cornea with pigmentation in centre (Fig. 5 B); cheliped carpus with long sharp tooth on inner dorsal angle, distal margin very finely granular or almost smooth; P2 merus dorsal margin with sharp granules and/or short spines, ventral margin with row of sharp spines (Fig. 2 E, F); P2 carpus unarmed (Fig. 2 E, F); P2 propodus with row of spines on dorsal margin (Fig. 2 E, F); P3, P4 dorsal margin with strong spines, ventral margin with 2 rows of sharp spines (Fig. 2 E, F); P3, P4 carpus each with rows of strong spines on dorsal margin, with low subdorsal ridge; P3, P4 propodus each with strong spines on dorsal, ventral margins (Fig. 2 E, F); P5 merus with strong spines on dorsal margin, ventral margin with numerous strong spines on proximal half of ventral margin (Figs. 2 E, F, 8C); surface of thoracic sternum distinctly mostly smooth or pitted, surface near sternoabdominal cavity with low, flattened granules (Fig. 9 C, D); episternite 7 as tranversely elongated, subrectangular plate (Fig. 9 D); male abdominal somite 6 slightly wider than long (Figs. 9 C, 10C); G1 distal part elongated, tip prominently open distally, distinctly flared (Fig. 12 E–G).
Etymology. The species name alludes to the species occurrence in the Indian Ocean.
Remarks. Records of Scalopidia spinosipes from Gulf of Manaar, Sri Lanka (Laurie 1906), Gulf of Martaban, India (Henderson 1893), Sandheads in the Bay in Bengal (Chopra 1935), Calcutta, India (Guinot et al. 2013) and Andaman Sea, Phuket (Davie et al. 2002) should be referred to this new species (see discussion for genus).
Scalopidia spectabilis n. sp.
(Figs. 2 I, 5C, 6C, 7G, H, 8D, 9E, F, 10D, 13A–D, 14B)
Material examined. Holotype— male (11.5× 16.6 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-507), station PS 14, 4– 5 m depth, Admosin Island, 5°05.1’S 145°48’E, Madang, Papua New Guinea, coll. Expedition PAPUA NUIGINI, 16 November 2012 Diagnosis. Carapace subovate, lateral margins gently convex with posterolateral sides subparallel (Fig. 2 I); dorsal surface uneven with regions of different convexity (Figs. 2 I, 5C); cornea entirely pigmented (Fig. 5 C); cheliped carpus with long sharp tooth on inner dorsal angle, distal margin very finely granular or almost smooth; P2 merus dorsal margin with sharp granules, ventral margin with row of strong spines (Fig. 2 I); P2–5 carpus, propodus dorsal margins without spines, dorsal margins, subdorsal ridges of carpi of P3, 4 lined with very low granules; P5 merus dorsal margin unarmed, ventral margin with 2 or 3 short spines on proximal half (Figs. 2 I, F, 8D); surface of thoracic sternum granular, those near sterno-abdominal cavity relatively larger (Fig. 9 E, F); episternite 7 as tranversely elongated triangular plate (Fig. 9 F); male abdominal somite 6 as wide as long, anterodistal angles prominently dilated (Figs. 9 E, 10D); G1 distal part elongated, tip prominently open laterally (Fig. 13 A–C).
Etymology. The species is named after its relatively colorful carapace when compared with congeners (Fig. 14 B).
Remarks. The species is diagnostic in characters discussed earlier (see Remarks for genus). Scalopidia spectabilis n. sp. also differs from congeners in that the anterodistal angles of male abdominal somite 6 are relatively more dilated (Fig. 10 D).
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2013, On the genus Scalopidia Stimpson, 1858 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Goneplacoidea: Scalopidiidae), with the description of one new genus and three new species in Zootaxa 3731 (1), DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3731.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/246527