Metopograpsus gracilis Saussure, 1858

(Fig. 7A)

Metopograpsus gracilis Saussure, 1858a: 443, pl. 2, fig. 15, 15a-c; 1858b: 27, pl. 2, fig. 15, 15a-c.

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Pachygrapsus gracilis (Saussure, 1858), accepted recombination (see Poupin et al. 2005: 15).

LECTOTYPE (by inference from holotype designation by Türkay 1974c). — MHNG, ♀ 16.0 × 21.0 mm, St Thomas, Virgin Is.

PARALECTOTYPE. — MNHN-IU-2000-10991 (= MNHN-B10991), 1 ♀ 8.4 × 11.1 mm, Saint Thomas, coll. M. de Saussure. — Original label: “ Pachygrapsus gracilis Saussure, ♀, St Thomas, M. de Saussure ”; on the back of the cardboard “ Metopograpsus gracilis Sauss., ♀, St Thomas = Pachygrapsus, M. de Saussure, 270.58”.

PRESERVATION. — Carapace cracked on right side at cardiac region, RP4 missing.

REMARKS

Saussure (1858a: 443, pl. 2, fig. 15, 15a-c) established this species from a specimen measuring 16.0 × 21.0 mm collected from St Thomas, Virgin Islands (see Appendix), but his description did not explicitly mention how many specimens were examined. A female, 16.0 × 21.0 mm, in the MHNG was regarded as holotype by Türkay (1974c: 144, pl. 1, figs 5, 6) in his paper on the Grapsidae deposited at the MHNG: it is a dry specimen (P. Schwendinger, pers. comm., Dec. 2012). In assuming a holotype rather than designating a lectotype, Türkay (1974b: 145) proceeded as though syntypes did not exist. But there is a specimen, a dry female, collected by Saussure from the same locality, St Thomas, deposited in the MNHN collection, MNHN-IU-2000-10991 (= MNHN-B10991), as confirmed by the mention in the CAA of an exchange between Saussure and the MNHN in 1858, entry 270, corresponding to “270.58” on the original label. We may consider that this specimen has been collected at the same time as the holotype and could belong to the syntype series. Therefore, Türkay (1974c), who has published the assumption that the species-group taxon was based upon a single type specimen, is deemed to have designated that specimen as the lectotype (Code, Art. 74.6: Fixation of lectotype by inference of “ holotype ”). The female MNHN-IU-2000-10991 (= MNHN-B10991) may be considered paralectotype.