Bathynectes maravigna (Prestandrea 1839)

Bathynectes maravigna (Prestandrea, 1839)

Portunus Maravigna Prestandrea, 1839:132.

Portunus superbus Costa, in Costa and Costa, 1838–1871: 19, pl. 5 [color].

Bathynectes.—Filhol, 1885a:56.—Maurin, 1968a, fig. 29; 1968b, figs. 1, 4.

Bathynectes superba.—Forest and Gantès, 1960:351 [Morocco].—Pérès, 1964:20, 26, 29 [Morocco].

Bathynectes superbus.—Maurin, 1968a:19, 45, 50, 64 [Spain, Spanish Sahara, Mauritania]; 1968b:482, 484, 489, 491, fig. 6 [Spanish Sahara, Mauritania].—Zariquiey Alvarez, 1968:382, fig. 127g [Spain; references].—Christiansen, 1969:70, fig. 28, map 22 [Scandinavia].—Türkay, 1976b: 61 [listed], 64 [Madeira].—Lewis and Haefner, 1978:164 [part; Spain].

SYNONYM.—Thranites velox Bovallius, 1876.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—France: Banc de la Chapelle, off Brittany, 47°58′N, 08°00′W, 9 Sep 1921, L. Fage, 1, 1 (MP).

Spain: NE of Santander, (43°28′N, 03°48′W), 564 m, sand and shells, 6 Jul 1882, Travailleur, 6 juv (MP, W). Off western Galicia, 43°41.2′N, 08°57.6′W, 995 m, rocky bottom, 8 Aug 1967, Thalassa Sta T.491, 1 juv (MP).

Madeira: SE of Madeira, 32°43′N, 16°43′W, 420 m, 1 (L).

Morocco: Fosse de Rabat (approx. 34°N, 07°W), 300–400 m, N. Pigeault, 1 (MP).

DISTRIBUTION.—Eastern Atlantic, from Norway and the Faroes southward to NW Morocco, possibly to Spanish Sahara and Mauritania, Mediterranean; in moderately deep water, from 100 to 1455 m.

*Bathynectes piperitus, new species

Bathynectes superba.—A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1899, pl. 2: figs. 16–18 [part, not p. 25, pl. 2: figs. 1–15, 19–24]; 1900:65 [part].—Bouvier, 1922:59 [part, Cape Verde Islands only].—Monod, 1933b:510 [listed].—Capart, 1951:121, fig. 42. [Not Portunus superbus Costa, 1853.] Bathynectes superbus.— Monod, 1956:183, figs. 210–212.—Longhurst, 1958:87.—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:45.—Forest, 1963:628.—Monod, 1967, pl. 15: fig. 4 [no records].—Maurin, 1968b:492.—Intès and Le Loeuff, 1976: 103.—Lewis and Haefner, 1978:164, pl. la [part]. [Not Portunus superbus Costa, 1853.].

Bathynectes suberbus.—Gauld, 1960:69 [erroneous spelling], Bathynectes.—Voss, 1966:19, 25.—Maurin, 1968a, fig. 29; 1968b, fig. 9 [part, Senegal only].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Liberia: Sta 73, 311–366 m, 13 , 4 ov (L, W).

Ivory Coast: Sta 44, 403–586 m, hard dark gray mud, 5 juv (L). Sta 51, 329–494 m, 31 , 16 (1 ov), 13 juv (L, W).

Geronimo Material: Gabon: Sta 179, 293 m, 1 (W). Sta 191, 300 m, 2 (W). Sta 198, 300 m, 3 (W). Sta 199, 400 m, 1 , 1 (W). Sta 203, 200 m, 3 , 2 (W). Sta 206, 455–610 m, 1 , 1 juv (W). Sta 213, 300 m, 1 (W). Sta 214, 546 m, 3 juv (W). Sta 220, 300 m, 1 carapace (W). Sta 247, 400 m, 1 (W).

Undaunted Material: Angola: Sta 111, ca. 366 m, 2 (includes holotype), 3 (1 ov) (L).

Other Material: Cape Verde Islands: 16°53′N, 27°30′W to 16°54′N, 27°30′W of Paris [= 25° 10′W of Greenwich], 410–460 m, sand and gravel, 29 Jul 1883, Talisman Sta 110, 1 (MP). 15° 14′N, 23°03′45″W, 628 m, muddy sand, fish trap, 14–15 Aug 1901, Princesse Alice Sta 1189, 1 (MP).

Senegal: NW of Pointe des Almadies (14°45′N, 17°32′W), 250–300 m, 21 Oct 1952, Gérard Tréca, 2, 1 (MP). Off Pointe des Almadies, ca. 300 m, 16 Oct 1952, Cremoux, leg., Gérard Tréca, 1 (MP).

DESCRIPTION—Front (Figures 16, 17a) with 4 rounded teeth, inner 2 about half as wide as outer, extending about as far forward as outer. Latter broadly rounded, more semicircular than triangular. Inner orbital teeth low, rectangular, wide, with blunt apex and short dorsal carina. Upper orbital margin with 2 distinct narrow, open fissures. Exorbital tooth triangular, blunt, especially in larger specimens. Lower orbital margin with small, triangular, often blunt, narrow tooth next to exorbital tooth. Third tooth present medially, wider, blunter than second, separated from second by U-shaped incision. Inner, lower orbital tooth triangular, with narrowly rounded apex, latter occasionally curved inward. First 3 anterolateral teeth of carapace, excluding exorbital tooth, sharply triangular, curved anteriorly, third smallest. Fourth (= last) tooth large, spinelike, curved anteriorly, especially apically. Dorsal surface of carapace with 4 transverse ridges: (1) indistinct postfrontal ridge, widely interrupted in midline; (2) mesogastric ridge, divided by median interruption, each half again divided into 2 short, slightly convex ridges; (3) long lateral spines connected by third transverse ridge, sinuous and tuberculate; third ridge convex anteriorly, with posteriorly directed indentations (incurvations) at branchiocardiac grooves; and (4) short transverse carina placed between ends of branchiocardiac grooves on posterior half of carapace. Carapace finely and closely pubescent.

Mouthparts not significantly different from those of Bathynectes longispina Stimpson.

First pereiopods unequal, larger chela higher and heavier than smaller, with teeth on cutting edges of fingers larger, blunter. Otherwise chelipeds very similar. Fingers about as long as palm. Dactylus with usual 5 ridges, dorsalmost tuberculated basally. Upper ridge on inner surface of dactylus divided into 2 branches proximally, branches united distally; upper branch with blunt tubercle. In larger chela, basal tooth of cutting edge of dactylus large, swollen, directed somewhat posteriorly. Opposite tooth of fixed finger molar-like, with 2 small teeth proximally at base. Fixed finger, like dactylus, with laterally compressed teeth, usually alternately large and small. In smaller chela all teeth on cutting edges of compressed type. Fixed finger also with 5 ridges. Upper carina of palm with large, subdistal sharp tooth, lacking spinule adjacent to tooth; carina tuberculate posterior to tooth. Upper outer carina of palm with 6 large, triangular, blunt teeth, several smaller tuberculiform denticles present between larger teeth. Carina below upper, outer carina low, often partly absent, with row of small granules, latter often inconspicuous or absent, especially in middle of carina. Next lower carina strong, high and sharp, granular, terminating before reaching base of fingers; row of granules below distal end of this carina extending to first tooth of fixed finger. Lower part of palm with carina extending onto fixed fingers, more distinct proximally than distally, ornamented with numerous granules. All of lower surface of palm covered by transverse rows of granules; anteriorly this area terminates on ventral carina of fixed finger. Inner surface of palm with high, distinct longitudinal carina terminating somewhat above base of upper carina of inner surface of fixed finger. Carpus with very large, sharply pointed tooth on inner margin, anterior margin of tooth with 1 to 3, rarely 4, spinules, remainder of margin smooth or granular. Upper surface of carpus with 2 spines placed in line with upper articulation of palm, inconspicuous row of tubercles extending from posterior spine towards inner tooth, with more distinct row of tubercles extending obliquely proximally. Some tubercles scattered over remainder of upper surface of carpus. Outer anterior angle of carpus with sharp tooth. Anterior margin of carpus, between sharp tooth and upper articulation with propodus, smooth or evenly granular. Merus slender, more than twice as long as high, with strong spiniform tooth on anterior third of upper margin, second tooth somewhat before middle of inner, lower margin. Remainder of merus smooth or slightly tuberculate.

Walking legs (pereiopods 2 to 4) very slender. Dactylus narrow, evenly curved, upper and lower surfaces with narrow, longitudinal groove over entire length; lateral surfaces with broad groove, distally divided in two by longitudinal carina. Propodus as long as dactylus, measured dorsally, and more than 5 to more than 6 times as long as high. Upper and lower margins with deep longitudinal groove, flanked by 2 sharp carinae. Outer surfaces with 2 longitudinal carinae separating 3 grooves, middle groove particularly wide; upper carina placed close to outer carina of upper margin. On inner surface of propodus upper carina absent or very reduced, almost entirely covered by pubescence, thus only lower carina visible on surface. Carpus 2/3 to 4/7 length of propodus, with blunt longitudinal dorsal ridge, flanked on either side by distinct pubescent groove. Merus 2 to 3⅓ times as long as carpus and 4–5 times as long as wide, upper part with transverse subdistal groove, occasionally flanked posteriorly by blunt tubercle. Upper surface of merus sometimes slightly tuberculate. Dactylus of last pereiopod 3 times as long as high, oval, with lower margin straight for most of length, merging with distal tooth in straight line. Upper margin regularly curved, merging with distal tooth in concave line. Propodus about 2/3 as long as dactylus. Carpus less than half as long as dactylus. Merus about as long as propodus and 2½ times as long as high.

Male abdomen triangular, third to fifth somites fused, sixth and seventh somites free, latter triangular, apex broadly rounded, appearing broader than that of B. longispina.

Male gonopods similar to those of B. longispina, with apex less slender, less strongly curved laterally, as illustrated by Monod (1956, fig. 211) (Figure 17 b–d.)

Color: The first color note published of this species is the one by Capart (1951:122): “Couleur rouge orangé, les épines généralement plus rouges; les pattes marquées de zones rouges et orange alternées.” Monod (1956:185) described the color as follows: “gris à rouge-brique, parfois rose vif; chélipèdes en partie rouges, un anneau rouge sur les mérus, carpe, propode et base du dactyle des pattes.” The following color description is made after notes and photographs taken of specimens of Pillsbury Station 73, immediately after they came aboard: The carapace is orange-red with a white spot at the front, one such spot just behind either of the large lateral teeth, one in each posterolateral angle, and one in the middle of the posterior margin. The apex of the lateral spine is very dark, almost black. The chelipeds are orange with the main spines and teeth white. Also the distal part of the palm and the fingers are white, except for an orange spot at the base of the dactylus. The tips of the fingers and a large part of the cutting edges are of a dark, almost black color. The walking legs have a broad orange band over the distal part of the merus, one over the carpus and one over the proximal half of the propodus, sometimes the proximal part of the dactylus also is orange. All the rest of the leg is white, viz., the base of the merus, all the articulations, the distal part of the propodus and the entire dactylus or the larger part of it. In the fifth leg the orange color is somewhat more extensive than in the other legs, here the basal part of the merus is white, from there on the leg is orange up to the middle of the propodus or slightly beyond (with the exception of small white articulations), and also the basal part of the dactylus is orange, the distal part white. The lower surfaces of body and chelipeds are white, that of the second to fifth pereiopods is of the same color as the dorsal surface. The eggs are carmine.

MEASUREMENTS.—The specimens examined had the carapace width from 15 to 86 mm (inclusive of the lateral spine); the largest specimen is a male. The ovigerous females have carapace widths between 55 and 72 mm; the largest of the females is ovigerous. In the literature, male specimens with carapace lengths from 17 to 57 mm and carapace widths 32 to 80 mm (including the lateral spines) are recorded; for the non-ovigerous females these values are 22 to 49 mm and 38 to 68 mm, respectively, and for the ovigerous females 40 to 54 mm and 62 to 78 mm. The diameter of the eggs is 0.42 mm (Monod, 1956).