Gopkittisak gallardoi Serene & Soh 1976, new combination
Creators: name: Naruse, Tohru
name: Clark, Paul F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Varunidae
Gopkittisak
Gopkittisak gallardoi

description: Gopkittisak gallardoi (Serène & Soh, 1976) new combination
(Figs. 1–3)
Asthenognathus gallardoi — Serène & Soh, 1976: 1, Fig. 28A, B, Pl. VIII A, B; Ghani & Tirmizi, 1991: 100, Fig. 1; Jiang et al., 2007: 78, Fig. 1.
“ Asthenognathus ” gallardoi — P.K.L. Ng et al., 2008: 226.
Material examined. Thailand: 1 ovig. Ƥ (8.0 × 3.9 mm), NHM 2008.998, Tsunami Impacts in Laem Son Project, stn 120, 6 m, 9.46917°N 98.4039°E, off Laem Son National Park, Ranong Province, Andaman Sea, Thailand, coll. Paul Clark & Bob Foster Smith, by dredging, Ocean One Ranong, 29 November 2007; 1 ♂ (6.2 × 3.4 mm), 1 ovig. Ƥ (6.7 × 3.7 mm), NHM 2008.4621–4622, 1 ♂ (7.4 × 4.0 mm), 1 ovig. Ƥ (6.8 × 3.6 mm), ZRC 2008.1053, Rawai Beach, Phuket, Thailand, from under rocks on sandy to silty substratum, during extreme low tide, 0–0.5 m, coll. 7 March 2008. Philippines: 1♂ (9.9 × 5.4 mm), 2 ovig. ƤƤ (8.9 × 5.0 mm, 10.2 × 5.5 mm), ZRC 2008.1054, 2 ƤƤ (10.8 × 6.1 mm, 11.7 × 6.3 mm), 1 ovig. Ƥ (9.5 × 5.3 mm), MNHN, Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project 2004, stn M1, 0–1 m, intertidal to shallow subtidal, 9°32.9΄N, 123°46.6΄E, coll. Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project, 3 June 2004; 1Ƥ (9.2 × 5.2 mm), NMCR, Bohol Island, Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project 2004, stn T24, 35– 57 m, 9°42.3΄N, 123°50.3΄E, coll. Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project, 23 June 2004.
Comparative material. Asthenognathus inaequipes Stimpson, 1858: 1 Ƥ (6.2 × 4.2 mm), ZLKU 8632, Ariake Sea, Kyushu, Japan, coll. 19 December 1957. Asthenognathus hexagonum Rathbun, 1909: 1 Ƥ (7.8 × 5.5 mm), ZRC 1970.1.21.19, Manila Bay, Philippines, coll. 8 October 1964.
Description. Carapace elliptical, CW 1.76–2.05 times CL (mean = 1.83, n = 12), dorsally convex both longitudinally and transversely, dorsal surface smooth, with four transverse ridges (Fig. 1 a); longest ridge on posterior third of carapace, medial part of ridge slightly placed posteriorly, laterally divergent, anterior branch reaching lateral carapace margin, posterior margin short, longitudinal, anterior, posterior branches forming posterior lateral facet of carapace; three short ridges on hepatic and branchial regions. Front straight, as wide as orbit, front to supraorbital margins rimmed, not granulated, fronto-orbital margin as wide as proximal margin; external orbital angle almost at right angle, directed anteriorly; short infraorbital margin extended downwards from external orbital angle, ventral side of orbit demarcated by suborbital crista, continuous laterally as far as below lateral end of anterior lateral epibranchial crista of dorsal surface (Fig. 1 b), a row of setae just below crista. Epistome short, with middle triangular projection. Anterolateral margin lined with granules, anterior half convergent anteriorly.
Eyes well-developed. Antennule basal article large. Antennal basal article reaching lateral frontal angle, inner orbital tooth reaching middle to lateral frontal angle. Third maxillipeds (Fig. 1 c) filling less than twothirds of buccal cavern when closed; ischium and merus subrectangular, these segments divided by oblique border, midlength of ischium slightly longer than that of merus; distal end of exopod not reaching to distal end of merus, with long flagellum; carpus attached to lateral half of distal margin of merus, propodus and dactylus attached to distal end of respective proximal segment; carpus slightly longer than dactyus to propodus, propodus with row of long setae on extensor margin, dactyus lined with long setae on extensor, mesial margins. Buccal cavern wide, third maxillipeds only filling one-third of cavern.
Male thoracic sternites 1 and 2 fused, sternite 3 short, demarcated from sternites 1/2 and 4 by transverse rim, sternites 1–3 medially concave; sternal condyle on distal end of thoracic sternite 5. Penis sternal, appearing from distal end of thoracic sternite 8 (Fig. 2 b). Female thoracic sternites 1/2 and 3/4 fused respectively, these sternites concave medially. Vulva on anterior half of thoracic stenite 5.
Chelipeds (Figs. 1 e, 3) equal, smooth, longer in male; merus with subproximal part of dorsal margin, ventral inner margin with soft setae; carpus without inner angle; chela smooth, with one longitudinal crista from base of palm to immovable finger; dactylus with rectangular tooth, occlusal margin of tooth incised, distal margin of tooth on middle of cutting edge; cutting edge of immovable finger regularly lined with low, rounded teeth. Ambulatory legs (Fig. 3) somewhat compressed dorso-ventrally, anterior part of proximal half of meri to ischia setose, meri with anterior, posterior margins granular; second leg longest, merus of second leg longer than carapace; fourth leg shortest, both outer, inner margins of propodus, inner margin of dactylus lined with plumose setae.
Male abdomen (Fig. 2 a) relatively narrow; first and second segments short, third segment widest, first segment slightly narrower than third segment; third to sixth segments fused, fourth to sixth lacking suture from outer surfaces; proximal lateral angle of sixth segment convex laterally, with socket for sternal condyle on inner side (Fig. 2 c, d). G1 stout, subtriangular in cross section, distally slightly curved outwards. Female abdomen (Fig. 2 f) wide, fourth segment widest, almost reaching pereiopodal coxae laterally; telson small, short, almost embraced by sixth segment.
Coloration. The specimens from Thailand are mottled brown with two anterior white spots on the carapace (Fig. 3 a), while the Philippines specimens are beige in background and brown dots (Fig. 3 b).
Distribution. Gopkittisak gallardoi was originally described from Andaman Sea, Thailand (Serène & Soh, 1976). They also recoded it from Nhatrang Bay, Vietnam. Subsequently the species has been recorded from Pakistan (Ghani & Tirmizi, 1991) and Weizhou Island, Gungxi, China (Jiang et al. 2007). The present study newly records this species from central Philippines.
description: Published as part of Naruse, Tohru & Clark, Paul F., 2009, Establishment of a new genus for Asthenognathus gallardoi Serène & Soh, 1976 within Gaeticinae Davie & N. K. Ng, 2007 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Varunidae), pp. 61-68 in Zootaxa 1987 on pages 63-67, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.185447