Rochinia strangeri Serène & Lohavanijaya, 1973

Figs 7B, 9 A–F, 11A–D

Rochinia strangeri Serène & Lohavanijaya, 1973: 57–58, figs 123–128, pl. 11 fig. B–C (type locality: South China Sea).

Rochinia strangeri – Griffin & Tranter 1986a: 175 (key). — Takeda 2001: 241. — Ng & Richer de Forges 2007: 62 (list); 2013: 361. — Ng et al. 2008: 105 (list).

Material examined

SOUTH CHINA SEA: holotype, ♂ (10.7 × 7.2 mm) (USNM149304), 15°40′ N, 109°45.5′ E, 4019 m, coll. NAGA Expedition, 28 Feb. 1960; 3 ♂♂ (12.2 × 8.0 mm, 12.1 × 8.0 mm, 9.3 × 6.1 mm) (ZRC 2016.0546), 1 ♂ (10.5 × 6.9 mm), 1 ovigerous ♀ (10.0 × 6.7 mm) (NTOU), 1 ♂ (10.0 × 6.7 mm), 2 ovigerous ♀♀ (12.2 × 8.4 mm, 10.2 × 6.9 mm) (MNHN-IU-2016-179), Nanhai, continental slope, stn CP4117, 20°00.88′ N, 114°08.80′ E to 20°01.87′ N, 114°09.35′ E, 421– 333 m, coll. NANHAI 2014 Expedition, 11 Jan. 2014; 1 ♀ (12.2 × 8.0 mm) (ZRC 2016.0547), Zhongsha, continental slope, stn CP4137, 19°53.06′ N, 114°21.68′ E to 19°53.03′ N, 114°24.74′ E, 536– 524 m, coll. ZHONGSHA 2015 Expedition, 23 Jul. 2015; 1 ♂ (12.4 × 8.1 mm), 1 ♀ (13.5 × 8.7 mm), 1 ovigerous ♀ (12.6 × 8.5 mm) (ZRC 2016.0548), Dongsha, stn CP4128, 20°44.86′ N, 116°08.01′ E to 20°42.28′ N, 116°08.01′ E, 420–444 m, coll. DONGSHA 2014 Expedition, 1 May 2014.

Diagnosis

Small species, pyriform carapace.Two short diverging pseudorostral spines.Carapace with several spines: 3 forming median line on gastric and cardiac regions, and posterior carapace margin; 2 protogastrics; 1 long branchial spine pointing outwards, 2 smaller epibranchial spines, 1 on each side of cardiac region. Carapace dorsal surface with 15 spines (Fig. 9A, D). Carapace covered by dense tomentum of rounded setae. Eye protected by supraocular eave-like plate pointing upwards, elevated postocular spine forming plate. Hepatic plate flattened, raised, pointing upwards. Basal antennal article smooth, with curved surface. Single granule on distal side of opening of green gland. Border of pterygostomial region with 3 or 4 granules. Buccal frame square, totally covered by third maxillipeds when closed (Fig. 9B, E). Male cheliped long: propodus long, slender; cutting edges of fingers serrulate; carpus with 2 carinae; merus long, triagonal in cross-section, carinate on angles. Ambulatory legs relatively long, P2 longest; articles covered by thin velvety setae (Fig. 9A). G1 straight with flattened tip (Fig. 11 A–D).

Colouration

In the fresh SCS specimens of R. strangeri, the carapace is pale pink while the pseudorostral spines, supraorbital eave, postorbital spine and hepatic spine are pale orange; the cheliped is pinkish orange while the ambulatory legs are pale pink with the distal sections white (Fig. 7B).

Remarks

Little is known of this species, and the original description for Rochinia strangeri by Serène & Lohavanijaya (1973) was relatively brief. Therefore, the species is re-diagnosed here. The species is characterised by the anterior border of the carapace bearing a series of three prominent spine-like plates on the supraocular, postocular and hepatic regions (cf. Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973). The only other species of Rochinia that have such strong and flattened hepatic plates are R. soela Griffin & Tranter, 1986, from the Northwest Shelf of Australia, Indian Ocean (Griffin & Tranter 1986b: 366), R. galathea Griffin & Tranter, 1986, from off Natal, Indian Ocean (Griffin & Tranter 1986b: 361) and R. tomentosa Griffin & Tranter, 1986, from Halmahera Sea (= Bougainville Strait), west of Waigeo Island (Griffin & Tranter 1986a: 190). However, these species are very different in other aspects of the carapace morphology. Rochinia galathea has only nine spines on the carapace (cf. Griffin & Tranter 1986b: fig. 11h) (versus 15 spines on the carapace in R. strangeri, see Figs 7B, 9A, D). Rochinia soela has an additional curved flattened hepatic plate, and there are only branchial spines on the carapace (cf. Griffin & Tranter 1986b: fig. 13b, f) (versus straight flattened hepatic plate and 15 spines on carapace in R. strangeri, Figs 7B, 9A, D). The closest species appears to be R. tomentosa, whose dorsal carapace surface is covered by a dense tomentum and has flattened postocular and hepatic plates (cf. Griffin & Tranter 1986a: fig. 61b, f). However, the carapace of R. tomentosa has no spines on its carapace as compared to the 15 present on R. strangeri (Figs 7B, 9A, D).

Serène & Lohavanijaya (1973: 167, pl. 11 fig. B) figured Rochinia strangeri and compared it with R. pulchra (Miers, 1886) and R. riversandersoni (Alcock, 1895). The species listed by Richer de Forges &

Poore (2008: 69, fig. 2d) as R. strangeri, is a different species, morphologically more similar to R. soela; which will have to be re-examined to ascertain its true identity.

Distribution

Only known from South China Sea.