Parvipalpus major A. Carausu 1941

Parvipalpus major Carausu, 1941

(Fig. 16)

Parvipalpus major Carausu, 1941: 5 –11, figs. 1–3.— McCain & Steinberg, 1970: 63.— Krapp-Schickel, 1993: 802 –804, fig. 547.— Laubitz & Sorbe, 1996: 626 –630, fig. 2.— Corbari et al., 2005: 363 –371, figs. 1–7.

Material examined. SELVA 2008: 3 males, 3 females, 1 juvenile (1 male and 1 female used for lateral view figures MHNUSC 25110), DRN-10-2B, 44°06.282’N, 008°44.606’W, 433 m, muddy fine sand.

Remarks. Parvipalpus major was described by Carausu (1941) based on material from the Mediterranean coast of France (Banyuls-sur-Mer) and Monaco, and was considered as Mediterranean endemic by Krapp-Shickel (1993). Laubitz & Sorbe (1996) redescribed the species based on material from North Atlantic (Bay of Biscay). The Mediterranean specimens of Carausu (1941) were found from 0.5 to 300 m depth, and the Atlantic material of Laubitz & Sorbe (1996) were collected from 175– 924 m. Corbari et al. (2005) conducted a detailed video study of this species where they showed morpho-functional and behavioural adaptations to deep-sea bottoms. Our male specimens show the same morphology than that described by Laubitz & Sorbe (1996) and females are also in good agreement with the original figures and description of Carausu (1941); the dorsal surface of male pereonites is smooth while it is full of tiny tubercles in females. Although morphological evidences seem to demonstrate that the species inhabits both Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, further molecular studies could aid to explore if Mediterranean and Atlantic populations belong to the same species, or if, otherwise, there is enough genetic differentiation to consider them to belong to different cryptic species. So far, the genus comprises 5 described species: P. capillaceus (Chevreux, 1888), P. linea Mayer, 1890, P. major Carausu, 1941, P. onubensis Guerra- Gacía, García-Asencio & Sánchez-Moyano, 2001 and P. colemani Guerra-García, 2003. The five species are morphologically compared in Guerra-García (2003). McCain & Steinberg (1970) pointed out that P. linea could be synonym on P. capillaceus. Parvipalpus linea has been found so far only in the Mediterranean, P. colemani, P. onubensis and P. capillaceous only in Atlantic waters, while P. major seems to present Atlanto-Mediterranean distribution.

Distribution. Mediterranean (see Krapp-Schickel, 1993). Northwestern Atlantic coasts of Iberian Peninsula and Bay of Biscay (Laubitz & Sorbe, 1996; present study).