Ambon Crinoid Shrimp

Periclimenes amboinensis (De Man, 1888)

Anchistia amboinensis De Man, 1888b:546, pl. 22a: fig. 2 [type locality: Ambon, Indonesia].

Periclimenes amboinensis.—Bruce, 1983c:874, 898, 899, figs. 1–3, 7E.

DIAGNOSIS.—Integument smooth, not pitted, on lateral areas of carapace and abdomen; rostrum not overreaching antennal scale, directed somewhat anteroventrad, rostral formula 0 + 6/1, posteriormost tooth not isolated from remainder of dorsal rostral series, situated distinctly anterior to posterior orbital margin, lateral carina expanded posteriorly into supraorbital eave and spine; carapace with supraorbital tooth, hepatic spine not much larger than antennal spine, arising slightly posteroventral to latter, extending nearly to anterior margin of carapace, orbital angle acute, not ovate; telson without dorsolateral spines anterior to posterior margin; eye with cornea angularly produced distally, not hemispherical; antennular peduncle with 1 distolateral spine on basal segment; antennal scale with lateral margin faintly convex, distolateral tooth not reaching level of distal margin of blade; 4th thoracic sternite without slender median process; 1st pereopod overreaching antennal scale by about length of chela; 2nd pereopods unequal, fingers about as long as palm, carpus much less than as long as palm, little longer than distal width, without distal spines, merus with stout tooth directed distally from flexor margin; 3rd pereopod with dactyl not subdistally truncate, without denticulate lobe on flexor margin, obscurely biunguiculate, flexor margin sinuous, propodus with indistinct spinules near distal end of flexor margin, not segmented; uropod barely overreaching extended telson; maximum carapace length about 4 mm.

RANGE.—Indonesia and Great Barrier Reef of Australia; associated with comatulid crinoids. Devaney and Bruce (1987: 222, 230) tentatively recorded the species from Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands.

MATERIAL.—PHILIPPINES. Marungas Island (south side), Sulu Archipelago; [6°06′N, 120°58′E]; 1–2 m; scattered coral and sand; 10 Feb 1908 (1330–1500); diving, coral heads taken ashore: 1 male [3.0] 1 ovig female [3.5].

RANGE.—Nicobar Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Caledonia, Soloman and Samoa; usually associated with scleractinian corals.