Galacantha diomedeae Faxon 1893

Galacantha diomedeae Faxon, 1893

(Fig. 1)

Restricted synonymy:

Galacantha diomedeae Faxon, 1893: 180; 1895: 79, pl. 25, figs. 1, 1a–d. Galacantha diomedeae var. parvispina Faxon, 1893: 181; 1895: 80, pl. 25, fig. 2. Munidopsis diomedeae Haig & Wicksten, 1975: 101.— Luke, 1977: 28.— Wicksten, 1989: 315 (list).— Khodkina, 1973: 73.—

Baba, 2005: 288.— Macpherson, 2007: 14, fig. 5.

Type localities. Syntypes from “Albatross” expedition stn: 3357, 2263, 3364, 3366, 3371, 3373, 3393, 3407, 3429. From Coiba Island, Panamá to Mazatlan, Mexico.

Other records in America. Peru, 18°23'S, 71°13'W, 1100 m, Nov 1970 – Jan 1972 (Del Solar 1972); Arica, 18°40'S, 70°36'W – 18°32'S, 70°29'W, 768–968 m, 18°42'S, 70°37'W, 1097–1152 m, 7 May 1972 (Luke 1977); Castle Rock Light, San Clemente, California, “Velero IV” Stn 8791-63, 32°54'N, 33°01'N – 118°55'N, 119°05'W, 1719–1738 m, 17 July 1963 (Haig & Wicksten 1975).

Distributional range. from Isla San Clemente, California to Arica (Haig & Wicksten 1975; Wicksten 1989; Hendrickx 2003; Macpherson 2007).

Bathymetric range. 768–3790 m.

New records. MUAP (CD)-0310, 17 specimens (9 ovigerous females and 8 males) stn AGT-5 (22°48’02”S, 70°30’95”W; 1351 m, off Antofagasta) “ PUCK ” expedition, RV “Sonne”, 2001; MUAP (CD)-0311, 1 deteriorated male caught with Patagonian Toothfish longline off Iquique (~22°S), no additional data; MUAP (CD)-0408, 1 female, caught with Patagonian Toothfish longline off Iquique (~22°S), no additional data; MUAP (CD)-0409, 1 female parasitised by bopyrid, collected with Patagonian Toothfish longline off Arica (~ 18°40’S), no additional data; CBUCN 0 0 3865, 2 males, 1 female, stn AGT 6 (35°31.48’S, 72°22.71’W, 1300 m), “VG07” cruise, AGOR Vidal Gormáz, 30 September 2007.

Description. Rostrum short, not more than 2 times length of eyestalks, slightly curved upward without lateral spines (Fig. 1 b). Carapace pentagonal in general shape, covered with scale-like tubercles, arranged in transverse lines; epigastric region armed with 2 anterior spines and 1 better developed median spine; cardiac region with median spine projecting anteriorly; antennal spine absent; lateral spines strong and projecting anterior and oblique to carapace, reaching almost the base of the cornea (Fig. 1 a); posterior margin armed with spines. Chelipeds short, almost one and one-half times carapace length, finely granulose, without spines, palm as long as fixed finger (Fig. 1 c). Third pereiopod unarmed but with carpus and merus with 1 and 2 distal spines (Fig. 1 d), dactyl with ventral row of 9–12 spines with spiniform setae on anterior margin (Fig. 1 e).

Remarks. The specimens match Faxon’s description and diagnosis very well (Macpherson 2007), except that the palm is as long as the fixed fingers in our specimens and not 1.5 times the fixed finger as diagnosed by Macpherson (2007).

This new records extend the range of the species 1700 km south, to 35°31.48’S (off Constitución, Chile).

References: 1 = Henderson, 1885; 2 = Henderson, 1888; 3 = Benedict, 1902; 4 = Bahamonde, 1964; 5 = Luke, 1977; 6 = Khodkina, 1973; (*) = First record; (**) = New record