Eryma veltheimii

Eryma veltheimii (Münster, 1839)

(Fig. 7 D-F)

Glyphea veltheimii Münster, 1839: 22, pl. 10, fig. 1. — Fraas 1855: 94. — Glaessner 1929: 159. — Woods 1930: 80, pl. 22, figs 5-6. — Van Straelen 1936: 9. — Förster 1966: 124, fig. 23, pl. 17, figs 2, 4. — Taylor 1979: 34. — Feldmann & Titus 2006: 64. — Karasawa et al. 2013: table 1.

Eryma veltheimii – Bronn 1849: 579. — Oppel 1861: 358; 1862: 36, pl. 7, fig. 5. — Beurlen 1928: 156. — Schweigert et al. 2000: 7, fig. 1c, pl. 4, figs 1-3. — Garassino & Schweigert 2006: 8, fig. 8, pl. 1, fig. 2, pl. 11, figs 3-4. — Feldmann & Titus 2006: 64. — Fürsich et al. 2007a: table 2. — Odin et al. 2019: 652.

Clytia veltheimii – Beurlen 1928: 170.

Galicia veltheimii – Schweitzer et al. 2010: 25. — Charbonnier & Garassino 2012: 864. — Audo et al. 2014: 462. — Schweigert 2015: fig. 544.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype BSPG AS VII 186. TYPE LOCALITY. — Kapfelberg quarry near Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany. TYPE AGE. — Kimmeridgian.

DESCRIPTION

Carapace

Short, spiny rostrum; fusiform intercalated plate; elongated cephalic region, representing almost half of the length of the carapace; wide, deep cervical groove, strongly inclined, joined to dorsal margin; deep gastro-orbital groove, elongated and oblique; postcervical groove not identified; wide, deep branchiocardiac groove, strongly inclined.

Somites with subtriangular pleurites; telson with a median line and two longitudinal crests along its lateral margins, crests ended by a small spine; uropods as long as telson, with a small spine on the external margin; uropodal endopods with a longitudinal carina; uropodal exopods with a diaeresis, and a longitudinal carina.

Chelate P1; P1 propodus subrectangular, strongly elongated, dorso-ventrally compressed; presence of a strong spine at the inner distal extremity of the propodus, above the dactylus; slender fingers, progressively narrowing to their distal extremity, slightly curved inward; occlusal margin without teeth; P1 carpus short, subtriangular; thin P2-P5.

Carapace covered by small tubercles; intercalated plate covered by small tubercles; oblique orbital row of tubercles in cephalic region; presence of a strong antennal spine; smooth P1 propodus and fingers.

DISCUSSION

This species is known by some specimens, mainly from the Kimmeridgian plattenkalks of Wattendorf (Audo et al. 2014). Because of the compression of the holotype, it is difficult to clearly identify the grooves of the carapace. Indeed, only the cervical, gastro-orbital and branchiocardiac grooves are wellmarked. However, the assignation to Eryma is supported by the gastro-orbital groove wich is not divided in two branches and by the shape of the P1 chelae (elongated subrectangular propodus; elongated fingers, curved inward and narrowing to their distal extremity).

The difficulty to identify the carapace grooves does not allow the comparison with that of other species. The presence of a spine at the distal extremity of the inner margin of the propodus (Fig. 7D) is characteristic of this species. Moreover, the lack of ornamentation on the P1 chelae is a characteristic only found in E. veltheimii and E. westphali. A spiny rostrum like in E. veltheimii is not found in E. mandelslohi, E. modestiforme, and E. ventrosum. Garassino & Schweigert (2006) pointed out the absence of spines on the margin of the telson, contrary to E. modestiforme. However, the careful examination of the type specimen shows that two marginal spines are present (Fig. 7F). Finally, the carapace of E. veltheimii is only covered by tubercles, contrary to E. georgeii, E. mandelslohi, E. quadriverrucatum, E. ventrosum, and E. westphali.