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Comprehensive Description

provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Eurycyde setosa

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Batanes Province, Batan Island, sta CAC 244 (1, holotype).

DESCRIPTION.—Species small; leg span 6.8 mm. Trunk completely segmented, lateral processes closely set, separated by less than half their diameters, armed with short rounded dorsodistal tubercles that decrease in size from anterior to posterior lateral processes, those anterior bearing a single seta each. Ocular tubercle constricted proximally, flaring distally, three times as long as maximum diameter, bearing seven very long tubular spines carried horizontally at apex. Apex mostly flat but with rounded small conical tubercle at anterior. Eyes moderately pigmented, situated at tubercle mid-length. Neck ventral to ocular tubercle very constricted. Abdomen of type missing. Proboscis typical of genus, carried on cylindrical basal segment. Distal proboscis segment inflated proximally, tapering distally to rounded lips.

Chelifores slender, long, scape first segment slightly longer than proboscis basal segment, armed with single long dorsodistal tubular spine. Scape second segment more slender than first, armed with eight very long tubular spines, spines as long as scape first segment. Chela slender, ovoid, fingers represented by two tiny distal papillae, armed with single slender seta distally.

Palp typical for this genus; first segment tiny, wider than long, second segment short, flaring distally with lateral conical tubercle, third segment longest, 0.25 longer than fifth, armed with two long tubular spines bearing several microsetae each. Fourth segment equal to seventh, eighth, and ninth, armed with a long dorsal tubular spine. Fifth segment slightly swollen at midpoint, armed with one long lateral spine and several distal setae. Sixth segment equal to terminal segment in length. All five distal segments armed with many ventral setae, some longer than segment diameter.

Oviger fairly short, first three segments rounded, armed with two or three short setae each. Fourth segment slightly longer than fifth, both armed with few lateral and ectal setae. Sixth curved proximally, half length of fourth segment, armed with few short setae. Strigilis segments well curved, each shorter than next proximal segment, armed with short distal setae ectally and endally with denticulate spines in the formula 7:4:4:5, in two rows with fewer spines in the smaller or outer row. Compound spines on proximal two segments broader with fewer lateral serrations, those of distal two segments narrower, with smaller serrations in greater numbers. Distal spine on terminal segment larger, forming subchelate effect with claw of same length.

Legs bearing several very long tubular spines on each major segment, each feathered with many microsetae over most of their length. Three coxae of subequal length, the first bearing anterior and posterior long slender tubercles distally, the posterior tubercle being the longer of each pair, each clothed with many short setae, without major spines. Second coxae armed with long dorsomedian tubular spine over twice as long as segment diameter. Second and third coxae with several short and long ventrodistal setae. Femur cylindrical, armed with four or five long tubular dorsodistal spines. Cement gland a proximal bulge placed laterally on femur, terminating in slender tube almost as long as segment diameter, carried pointing at oblique angle posteriorly from axis of segment. First tibia the longest segment, second only slightly shorter, both armed with tubular spines arranged in a tuft of three proximally on first tibia and a single spine distally. Second tibia with row of three spines dorsally. Tarsus short, propodus slender, curved, both armed with row of ventral short setae and few dorsal setae. Claw robust, about 0.3 as long as propodus.

MEASUREMENTS (in mm).—Trunk length, 1.08; trunk width (across first lateral processes), 0.8; distal proboscis segment length, 0.82; 3rd leg, coxa 1, 0.2; coxa 2, 0.18; coxa 3, 0.18; femur, 0.51; tibia 1, 0.65; tibia 2, 0.61; tarsus, 0.11; propodus, 0.44; claw, 0.14.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-locality, Batan Island, Batanes Province, in littoral depths.

ETYMOLOGY.—The species is named for its first coxae tubercle setae.
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bibliographic citation
Child, C. Allan. 1988. "Pycnogonida of the Western Pacific Islands. III. Recent Smithsonian-Philippine Expeditions." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-32. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.468