Quollastria gonypetes

Oratosquilla gonypetes (Kemp, 1911)

Squilla gonypetes.—Kemp, 1913, p. 54, pl. 4: figs. 42–44.— Ingle, 1963, p. 15, figs. 1, 5, 14.—Manning, 1965, p. 250, pl. XI: fig. a.

MATERIAL.—1 ♂, 52 mm; off Durban; Sta. NAD 40 P.

DISTRIBUTION.—Indo-West Pacific, from Japan to the Gulf of Suez, in moderate depths, to 118 meters (Manning, 1965); it has not been recorded previously from South Africa.

Oratosquilla gonypetes (Kemp, 1911)

Squilla gonypetes Kemp, 1911:96 [part]; 1913:54, pl. 4: figs. 42–44 [part].—Kemp and Chopra, 1921:300.—Chopra, 1939:148 [part?; not illustrated specimen].

MATERIAL.—Off Kabusa Island [Kabosa Island, 12°49′N, 97°53′E], Lower Burma; 25–35 fms (46–64 m); Investigator, leg.; 1 , TL 47 mm (ZSI C320/1). Off Cheduba [Cheduba Island, 18°48′N, 93°38′E], Arakan coast, Burma; 7 fms (13 m); Investigator, leg.; lectotype: 1 , TL 39 mm (ZSI 3359/7). Persian Gulf; 26°24′N, 56°02′E; 47 fms (86 m); Investigator, leg.; paralectotype: 1 , TL 26 mm (ZSI 4421/10). Gulf of Oman; 25°38′18″N, 56°26′36″E; 73 m; coarse sand and shells; John Murray Sta 72; 26 Nov 1933: 2 (1 broken), TL 55 mm; 1 , TL 50 mm (BMNH).

DESCRIPTION.—Size small to moderate, total length of adults to 55 mm. Body appearing smooth, actually lightly pitted under magnification.

Eye (Figure 5b) moderate to small, cornea bilobed, set obliquely on stalk. Eyes not extending to end of first segment of antennular peduncle. Corneal indices 358–408.

Antennular peduncle longer than carapace. Dorsal processes of antennular somite produced into acute lobes directed anterolaterally.

Rostral plate (Figure 5a) slightly broader than long, appearing elongate, lateral margins converging on rounded apex. Median carina absent.

Anterior width of carapace less than half median length. Anterolateral spines (Figure 5a) strong, extending almost to, or beyond, base of rostral plate. Median carina interrupted at base of bifurcation, branches of bifurcation usually scarcely discernible. Intermediate carinae slightly turning toward laterals, not extending to anterior margin.

Dactylus of claw with 5 teeth, outer margin broadly curved, sinuous proximally, with obtuse projection basally. Dorsal ridge of carpus (Figure 5c) undivided. Inferodistal angle on outer face of merus unarmed.

Exposed thoracic somites (Figure 5d) each with unarmed submedian and intermediate carinae, intermediates of fifth somite irregular, short. Lateral process of fifth somite bilobed, anterior lobe a slender spine, directed anteriorly or anterolaterally, posterior lobe much smaller, slender, apex triangular, almost sharp, directed laterally. Lateral process of sixth somite strongly bilobed, anterior lobe large, subrectangular or trapezoidal, apex blunt, posterior lobe triangular, obtusely pointed, apex blunt. Lateral process of seventh somite strongly bilobed, anterior lobe slightly smaller than that of sixth somite, triangular, posterior lobe much larger, triangular, apex obtusely pointed, unarmed.

Submedian carinae divergent on fifth abdominal somite. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: submedian 5–6, intermediate 3–6, lateral (1) 2–6, marginal 1–5.

Telson flattened, slender, appearing elongate, length and width subequal. Prelateral lobe subequal in length to margin of lateral tooth. Dorsal surface of telson occasionally with lines of short carinae or raised tubercles between curved rows of pits in large specimens. Denticles (Figure 5e) usually rounded, 3–4, 6–7, 1, outer submedians and intermediates largest, inner submedians occasionally spine tipped.

Uropod slender, proximal segment of exopod slightly shorter than distal, with 8 movable spines on outer margin, distalmost not extending to midlength of distal segment. Lobe on outer margin of inner spine of basal prolongation (Figure 5f) small, narrower than adjacent spine, margin concave, apex rounded.

COLOR.—Eyes with dark patch laterally on stalk. Carinae and grooves of carapace lined with dark pigment; midline of carapace with dark, U-shaped patch, open anteriorly, anterior to cervical groove. Claw with dark dorsal and distolateral patches on merus and distal dark patch on outer face of propodus. Lateral edge of antennal protopod dark. Carinae and posterior margins of posterior 3 thoracic and all abdominal somites dark, each somite with longitudinal line of dark pigment between submedian and intermediate carinae. Lateral processes of sixth and seventh thoracic somites dark posteromesially. Abdominal somites with short, curved line of dark pigment above lateral carina, rectangular middorsal patch on second somite, and 2 square black patches, each lateral to submedian carina, on fifth somite; posterolateral surface of sixth somite dark. Marginal carinae of telson dark. Distal part of proximal segment and inner half of distal segment of uropodal exopod dark. Distal half of endopod dark. Basal prolongation of uropod with dark longitudinal line at level of dark pigment of endopod.

MEASUREMENTS.—Males, TL 39–55 mm; females, TL 26—47 mm. Other measurements of female, TL 47 mm: CL 10.6, anterior width 5.0; cornea width 2.6; antennular peduncle length 11.2; rostral plate length 1.6, width 1.7; telson length 8.6, width 8.4.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known with certainty from localities in the Indian Ocean. Records in the literature have suggested that the range is from Japan (Manning, 1965) to southern Africa (Manning, 1971), but these records require verification. Indian Ocean localities include: Kabusa Island, 46–64 m, and off Cheduba Island, 13 m, both Burma (Kemp, 1911, 1913); Persian Gulf, 86 m (Kemp and Chopra, 1921); and Gulf of Oman, 73 m on coarse sand and shells (Chopra, 1939).