Aethogebia gorei A. B. Williams 1993

Aethogebia gorei

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—U.S.A.: Florida: USNM 251425, (holotype), Pickles Reef, [∼9 km, 5 mi] off Key Largo, inside coral rubble, 3 m (10 ft), snorkel, M.E. Rice, D.S. Putnam, and R.H. Gore, 4 May 1972.

DIAGNOSIS.—Rostrum narrow and strap-like, sides parallel, pair of subdistal dorsal spines. Postocular spine absent. Abdominal sternites unarmed; AVI with lateral margin thin, indented posterolaterally to receive uopodal protopod. T. distal margin broadly convex. Carpus of cheliped with no spines on anteromesial margin. Merus of P2–4 spineless.

DESCRIPTION.—Rostrum narrow and strap-like, sides parallel in dorsal view, slightly broadened at base curving toward orbital margins at either side, slightly arched at midlength and downcurved distally in lateral view; tip and distal margin of eyestalks reaching common level; dorsal pair of erect, stout apical spines slightly hooked backward, followed on each side by obsolescent, uneven dorsal tubercles arranged along margin; posteriorly divergent lateral ridge obsolescent, unarmed, and intersecting margin of rostrum at orbital angle. Cervical groove well marked, shoulder lateral to it unarmed. Postocular spine absent.

Abdominal sternites unarmed; pleura of AI very poorly developed, of AII–V rather well developed and bearing sparse fine setae on margin of AIV–V and posterolateral corner of AV; AVI with lateral margin thin and sinuous, indented posterolaterally to receive uropodal protopod.

T as long as U, slightly wider than long, distal margin broadly convex.

Eyestalk stout, cornea large, ovate, as wide as eyestalk at midlength in lateral view, and directed anterolaterally.

A1 peduncle unarmed, reaching beyond tip of rostrum by about length of short terminal article; flagella considerably longer than peduncle.

A2 peduncle reaching well beyond eyestalks by interval as long as basal of penultimate article, distal of this article gradually broadened in lateral view; sparse, long ventral setae on 2 distal peduncular articles and basal of flagellum, latter extending to tip of chelipeds.

Mxp3 lacking epipod.

Epistomial projection small and triangular in lateral view.

Legs long. P1 moderately robust, articles spineless, chelae strong. Merus reaching to tip of eyestalk and rostrum, or slightly beyond. Carpus rather short, apparently with slight lateral groove (distorted in preservation). Palm with upper and lower margin nearly parallel, slight notch on proximal of dorsal margin near midlength. Fingers elongate, tapering to acute tips, slight gap at base when closed; fixed finger slightly deflexed from line of lower palmar margin, but distally curving slightly toward dactyl, 1 or 2 obsolescent teeth near base; dactyl about longer than fixed finger, scissoring along it mesially when closed, 2 or 3 obsolescent tubercles near base. P2–5 with smooth, spineless articles; dactyls of all acutely falciform, comb of closely spaced corneous spinules on prehensile surface closing against distal end of propodus ornamented with distal tuft of setae on P2–4; P5 subchelate, propodus and dactyl densely setose.

Two arthrobranchs arranged in 2 biserial rows of divided (rod-like) lamellae on Mxp3 and P1–4.

Pl1–5 densely setose on margin of rami, subovate-triangular exopod broader, and far longer than oval endopod.

U lateral ramus with convex distal margin bearing few minute spinules, that of mesial ramus less convex and bearing more prominent spinules, distal spine on protopod lateral to articulation of outer ramus.

MEASUREMENTS (in mm).—Holotype , acl 2.3, cl 4.2, chl 3.3, chh 1.4.

KNOWN RANGE.—Confined to the type locality.