Tenagopelta potens Davie & Richer de Forges 2013, n. comb.
Creators: name: Ng, Peter K. L.
name: Castro, Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Chasmocarcinidae
Tenagopelta
Tenagopelta potens

description: Tenagopelta potens (Davie & Richer de Forges, 2013) n. comb.
(Figs. 17 E–G; 26H; 33I; 47E–J; 54H; 61G; 79K–O)
Hephthopelta potens Davie & Richer de Forges, 2013: 795, figs. 1–4 [type localilty: Australia, Queensland].
Type material. Holotype male (10.3 × 12.7 mm) (QM-W16974), Australia, Queensland, off Tully Heads, CSIRO, Soela, 17°59'02”S, 147°03'01"E, trawl, 260 m, 13.01.1986.
Paratypes: 1 female (6.2 × 7.1 mm) (QM-W17046), Australia, Queensland, off Babinda, 17°21'8”S, 146°48'5"E, epibenthic sled, 296–302 m, Franklin, 15.05.1986.— CSIRO, Soela: 1 female (9.7 × 11.9 mm) (QM- W17047), Queensland, off Tully Heads, 17°59'09”S, 147°02'09"E, trawl, 250–252 m, 29.11.1985; 1 female (6.6 × 7.6 mm) (QM-W17048), Queensland, off Mission Beach, 17°54'03”S, 146°55'07"E, trawl, 212 m, 09.12.1985; 1 female (10.5 × 13.1 mm) (QM-W16999), Queensland, off Yeppoon, 22°56'01”S, 152°41'04"E, trawl, 225–282 m, 19.11.1985; 1 male (9.2 × 11.0 mm) (QM-W17049), Queensland, off Tully Heads, 18°07’S, 147°02'02"E, trawl, 220 m, 18.01.1986; 2 females (7.1 × 8.2 mm, 7.3 × 8.5 mm) (QM-W17050), Queensland, off Tully Heads, 18°02’S, 147°01'06"E, trawl, 220–222 m, 12.01.1986; 1 male (9.1 × 11.1 mm) (QM-W17051), Queensland, off Tully Heads, 18°01’S, 147°01'03"E, trawl, 224–228 m, 0 9.01.1986.
Other material examined. Papua New Guinea. BIOPAPUA: 1 female (MNHN-IU-2014-12812), South East Point, Gulf of Huon, stn CP3629, 06°57’S, 147°08’E, 240–269 m, 22.08.2010; 1 male (10.3 × 12.1 mm), 1 female (11.3 × 13.1 mm) (ZRC 2015.241, ex MNHN-IU-2014-12813), Southeast Point, Gulf of Huon, stn CP3634, 07°29’S, 147°31’E, 279–290 m, 23.08.2010; 1 male (11.8 × 13.8 mm), 1 female (9.5 × 11.3 mm) (MNHN-IU- 2014-12814), 2 males (8.8 × 10.0 mm, 12.5 × 14.0 mm) (ZRC 2015.242), Southeast Point, Gulf of Huon, stn CP3635, 07°29’S, 147°33’E, 280–302 m, 23.08.2010; 1 juvenile female (MNHN-IU-2014-12815), Open Bay, stn CP3664, 04°50’S, 151°38’E, 195–340 m, 23.09.2010; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2014-12816), Open Bay, stn CP3665, 04°50’S, 151°38’E, 225-340 m, 23.10.2010; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2014-12817), off Sepik River, stn CP3701, 03°57’S, 144°41’E, 198–219 m, 0 1.10.2010. PAPUA NIUGINI 2012: 1 female (MNHN-IU-2013-9014), Dampier Strait, Salomon Sea, stn CP4014, 05°35’S, 148°13'E, 630–870 m, 12.12.2012; 1 male (13.1 × 14.2 mm), 1 female (15.2 × 16.6 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-9015), Astrolabe Bay, stn CP4028, 05°22’S, 145°47'E, 300–320 m, 14.12.2012; 1 male (MNHN-IU-2013-9158), N.Vanimo, Bismarck Sea, stn CP4062, 02°37’S, 141°18'E, 500–580 m, 21.12.2012.
Vanuatu. SANTO 2006: 1 male (5.0 × 5.4 mm) (ZRC 2015.186) [photographed], mislabeled station, waters outside Tutuba I., in excess of 100 m depth water, 18.10.2006.
New Caledonia. HALIPRO 1: 1 female (7.4 × 8.5 mm) (MNHN-IU-2013-9469), eastern New Caledonia, stn CP868, 21°14.539’S, 165°55.847’E, 430–450 m, 23.03.1994; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2013-9076), stn CP850, 21°43.6’S, 166°39.4’E, 541–580 m, 19.03.1994.— EXBODI: 2 females (MNHN-IU-2011-7302), Havannah Canal, stn CP3791, 22°15’S, 167°19’E, 750–863 m, 03.09.2011; 1 male, 1 female (MNHN-IU-2011-7512), Havannah Canal, stn CP3792, 22°18’S, 167°22’E, 850–876 m, 03.09.2011; 1 ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2011-7378), Thio, stn CP3796, 21°32’S, 166°21’E, 434–455 m, 04.09.2011; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2013-1968) [photographed], 1 female (MNHN-IU-2013-1969), Thio, stn CP3799, 21°33’S, 166°20’E, 461–466 m, 04.09.2011; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2011-7594), 1 female (MNHN-IU-2011-8190), Thio, stn CP3800, 21°32’S, 166°22'E, 279–282 m, 04.09.2011; 1 male (MNHN-IU-2011-7297), Toupeti, stn CP3808, 21°43’S, 166°39’E, 598–645 m, 05.09.2011; 4 females (MNHN-IU-2011-8560), Pass at Ounia, stn CP3826, 21°52’S, 166°51’E, 354–509 m, 07.09.2011; 1 male (MNHN-IU-2011-7755), Pass at Ounia, stn CP3827, 21°58’S, 166°57’E, 220–232 m, 08.09.2011; 1 female (MNHN-IU-2011-8474), large pass at Yaté, stn CP3837, 22°10’S, 167°15’E, 496–504 m, 09.09.2011; 1 male (MNHN-IU-2011-6498), large pass at Sarcelle, stn CP3842, 22°23’S, 167°22’E, 756–769 m, 10.09.2011; 1 male (MNHN-IU-2011-7885), 1 female (MNHN-IU-2011-8649), large pass at Sarcelle, stn CP3844, 22°20’S, 167°22’E, 815–970 m, 10.09.2011.
Diagnosis. Carapace (Fig. 17 E‒G) subtrapezoidal, globose, 1.1‒1.2 wider than long; dorsal, ventral surfaces, pereiopods covered by short tomentum, dorsal surface granular; front bilobed; anterolateral margins arcuate, granular, without distinct lobes or teeth. Eye peduncle (Fig. 26 H) filling orbit, short, mobile, cornea reduced. Posterior margin of epistome (Fig. 26 H) with broad semicircular median lobe with median fissure, semicircular lateral margins. Third maxilliped (Fig. 33 I) merus subquadrate, ischium rectangular, slightly longer than merus. Proportionally long ambulatory legs (Fig. 17 E‒G), folded P5 reaching beyond front, covered by tomentum; P5 merus 0.8 cl. Chelipeds (Figs. 17 E‒G; 47E‒J) subequal in length, covered by short tomentum, slightly dissimilar in females, heteromorphic in males; fingers of minor chela (Fig. 47 F, J) subcircular in cross-section, scissor-like, cutting margins with distinct teeth; major chela of males (Fig. 47 E, I) with enlarged teeth. Outer surface of adult male major chela with prominent swelling on median surface adjacent to dactylus (Fig. 47 G, H). Outer margin of ventral surface of cheliped merus with 3 large acute teeth. Inner margin of cheliped carpus with large pointed tooth (Fig. 17 E–G). Fused thoracic sternites 1, 2 (Fig. 54 H) semicircular, broad, long. Male pleon (Figs. 54 H; 61G) with proportionally short telson. G1 (Fig. 79 K‒N) stout, distal part relatively short, stout, curved inwards, with short spinules; tip truncate. G2 (Fig. 79 O) longer than G1, curved, slender, distal segment long, curved. Female telson proportionally short. Vulvae relatively close together, located on steep outer margin of thoracic sternite 6 close to suture 5/6.
Remarks. Specimens from northern Queensland, Australia, are relatively smaller compared to other material from Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia, but all have a distinct swelling on the outer surface of the major male chela (Fig. 47 G, H), usually visible even in medium-sized specimens. The smaller Papua New Guinea male specimens do not possess this swelling, with the outer surface of the chela gently convex (Fig. 47 I), although large ones have a prominent granular swelling. The G1 structures of specimens from Papua New Guinea, Australia, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia are almost identical, and very similar to that figured by Davie & Richer de Forges (2013: fig. 4A, B), being stocky in form; although it seems slightly more slender and elongated in the Papua New Guinea material (Fig. 79 K, L).
One small female (7.4 × 8.5, MNHN-IU-2013-9469) from New Caledonia is tentatively referred to T. potens. Its carapace is relatively broader than T. potens, with a shorter front and proportionately shorter ambulatory legs (Fig. 17 G), but this may be because of its relatively small size.
Larger males (e.g., 11.8 × 13.8 mm, MNHN-IU-2014-12814) have a prominent swelling on the submedian part of the outer surface of the major palm, closer to the fingers. Smaller males (e.g., 10.3 × 12.1 mm, ZRC 2015.241) have the same area gently convex but not discernible as a swelling, whereas the outer surface of the palm of younger males (e.g., 8.8 × 10.0 mm, ZRC 2015.242) is evenly convex.
Tenagopelta potens is close to T. pacifica n. sp., and the differences have been discussed under the latter species.
Distribution. Western Pacific Ocean (Papua New Guinea to New Caledonia, including Queensland, Australia). Depth: 195– 970 m.
description: Published as part of Ng, Peter K. L. & Castro, Peter, 2016, Revision of the family Chasmocarcinidae Serène, 1964 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Goneplacoidea), pp. 1-182 in Zootaxa 4209 (1) on pages 83-84, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4209.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/272646