Galathea orientalis Stimpson, 1858: 252 (Ly-i-moon Passage near Hong Kong, 46 m).— Stimpson, 1907: 231 (Ly-i-moon Passage, near Hong Kong, 46 m).— Miers, 1879: 51 ( Korea Strait, 22–92 m).— Ortmann, 1892: 252, pl. 11, figs 10, 10a, 10 i (Kadsiyama [= Katsuyama], Sagami Bay, Maizuru, Tanagawa [= Kanagawa], Kagoshima, shallow-water to 92 m).— Doflein, 1902: 644 (Sagami Bay).— Nakazawa, 1927: 1035, fig. 1993 (Misaki, Japan, intertidal).— Melin, 1939: 63, figs 36–38 (between Chichijima and Hahajima, and Chichijima, Bonin Islands, 64 m).—Nakazawa in Miyake & Nakazawa, 1947: 732, fig. 2115 (no record).— Utinomi, 1956: 63, pl. 32, fig. 5 (no record).— Miyake, 1960: 97, pl. 48, fig. 5 (no record).—Miyake, 1965: 634, fig. 1042 (no record).— Miyake & Baba, 1967 c: 232, fig. 5 (East China Sea, Chejudo, 50–101 m).— Lewinsohn, 1969: 110 (no record).— Haig, 1974: 447 (no record).— Kim, 1973: 175, fig. 19, pl. 64, figs, 5 a, 5 b ( Korea).— Miyake, 1982: 145, with 1 fig., pl. 49, fig. 1 (S Kii Peninsula, 45 m).— Takeda, 1982: 50, fig. 149 (no record).— Baba, 1989: 130 (Oshima Strait, Amami-oshima, 40–70 m).— Komai, 2000: 353 (list).— Minemizu, 2000: 166, with fig. (Ohse-zaki, Shizuoka Pref., Japan, 22 m).— Davie, 2002: 62 (list).— Baba, 2005: 81, 244 (key, synonymies, Japan and East China Sea and Hong Kong, shore – 549 m).—Macpherson, 2008: 291 (Dampier Archipelago, 1–28 m).— Clark et al., 2008: 920 (Conic Island cave, Hong Kong).—Baba et al., 2008: 74 (compilation); 2009: 120, figs. 100–103 ( Taiwan, 83–95 m).— Dong & Li, 2010: 15 (East and South China Sea, intertidal to 110 m).
Galathea longimana.— Stimpson, 1907: 232 ( China Sea, Oushima [Amami-Ohshima], and Kagoshima Bay).
Galathea acanthomera Stimpson, 1858: 90 ( type locality: Bonin Islands, 1.8 m, type lost).— Stimpson, 1907: 232 (Port Lloyd, Bonin Islands).— De Man, 1907: 388 ( Japan).— Balss, 1913 b: 2, fig. 1 ( Japan: Boshu, Misaki, Dsushi, Aziro near Misaki, Uraga Canal, Nagasaki, 20–200 m).— Yokoya, 1933: 55 ( Japan: E of Omae-zaki, SW coast of Shikoku, W of Tanabe, S coast of Atsumi (Aichi Pref.), NE of Iki I., and coast of Tottori Pref., 18–154 m).— Miyake, 1938: 39, fig. 2 (Kii Peninsula, Japan, 100 m).— Makarov, 1938: 86 (no record).
Galathea coralliophilus.— Wu et al., 1998: 90, figs 9, 42F ( Taiwan) (not G. coralliophilus Baba & Oh, 1990).
Questionable identification:
Galathea orientalis.— Haig, 1974: 447 (Western Australia).
Not Galathea orientalis.— Tirmizi, 1966: 182, figs 6–8 (possibly = G. anepipoda Baba, 1990).
Material examined. Japan. Iwate, Otsuchi, 20 m 28 July 1992: 3 M 4.5–5.4 mm, 1 ov. F 5.6 mm ( SMF 39254). Philippines. MUSORSTOM 3, Stn CP142, 11° 47 'N, 123 °01'E, 26–27 m, 6 June 1985: 1 M 2.7 mm (MNHN-IU- 2013-13938).
Vietnam. Tonkin. 1 ov. F 4.3 mm ( MNHN Ga 742).
Papua New Guinea. PAPUA NIUGINI, Stn PB37, 05° 15.9 'S, 145 ° 47.1 'E, 10 m, 30 December 2012: 1 F 2.5 mm (MNHN-IU- 2013-13999).
Australia. Western Australia. Dirk Herlog Island, 30–40 m, 1 March 1999: 1 M 2.7 mm, 1 ov. F 3.2 mm (UF 5155).
Australia. Queensland. Lizard island, off Bird Island, 14.6928 °S, 145.4668 °E, 1–2 m, 8 February 2009: 1 M 3.7 mm (UF 16625).—Lizard Island, Waining Reef, 14.4514 °S, 145.3139 °E, no depth, 15 February 2009: 1 ov. F 2.7 mm (UF 18195).—Lizard Island, Younge Reef, 15–18 m, 18 February 2009: 1 M 2.4 mm (UF 17133).
Remarks. Galathea orientalis is a widely distributed species. We have not observed significant morphological differences among the specimens from the different localities. The spines on the extensor margin of the Mxp 3 carpus can be acute or blunt. The closest species to G. orientalis is G. corallicola Haswell, 1882. The two species can be distinguished by the following characters:
- The second abdominal somite has two transverse ridges in G. orientalis, instead of four transverse ridges in G. corallicola.
- The distomesial spine of the antennal article 1 reaches the end of the antennal peduncle in G. orientalis, whereas this spine slightly exceeds the article 2 in G. corallicola.
Distribution. Previously known from Japan (including Ogasawara Islands), Korean Strait, Taiwan, East and South China Sea, Western Australia (Dampier Archipelago), 0– 200 m. The present material from Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Australia was collected at depths of 1–27 m, on algae or Pocillopora sp.