Spongicola levigatus Hayashi & Ogawa 1987

Spongicola levigatus Hayashi & Ogawa, 1987

(Figs. 7, 8)

Spongicola levigata Hayashi & Ogama, 1987: 367.— Saito & Takeda, 2003: 120.

Spongicola levigatus. — Saito & Komai, 2008: 87.— Goy, 2010: 217.— De Grave & Fransen, 2011: 251.

Material examined. New Caledonia. BIOCAL, stn DW83, 20°35.07’S, 166°53.99’E, 460 m, 6.IX.1985, 1 male, 2 females (1 ov.) in Pheronema semiglobosum (MNHN-Na 11981).—MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP214, 22°53.80’S, 167°13.90’E, 425–440 m, 28.IX.1985, 3 males, 11 females (8 ov.) in Pheronema semiglobosum with alpheids (MNHN-NA11987).—MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP213, 22°51.3’S, 167°12’E, 405–430 m, 28.IX.1985, 4 males, 8 females (5 ov.) in Pheronema semiglobosum (USNM 256955).—MUSORSTOM 4, stn DW230, 22°52.50’S, 167°11.80’E, 390–420 m, 30.IX.1985, 1 male, 2 females ov. in Pheronema semiglobosum (MNHN-Na 11985).— MUSORSTOM 4, stn, DW230, 22°52.5’S, 167°11.8’E, 390–420 m, 30.IX.1985, 3 females (1 ov.) in Pheronema semiglobosum (MNHN-Na 11974).—BIOGEOCAL, stn DW307, 20°35.38’S, 166°55.24’E, 470–480 m, 1 female (MNHN-Na 11961).— Loyalty Islands. MUSORSTOM 6, stn DW391, 20°47.35’S, 167°05.70’E, 390 m, 13.II.1989, 4 males, 6 females (5 ov.) (MNHN-Na 16311).—MUSORSTOM 6, stn DW406, 20°40.65’S, 167°06.80’E, 373 m, 15.II.1989, 2 males, 1 female ov. (MNHN-NA 11963).—MUSORSTOM 6, stn DW487, 21°23.30’S, 167°46.40’E, 500 m, 23.II.1989, 2 females ov. in Pheronema semiglobosum (MNHN-NA 11965).

Measurements (mm). Females, PCL: 2.3–6.0; RCL: 3.0–7.3; TL: 8.9–18.8. Males, PCL: 2.5–4.9; RCL: 2.7– 6.0; TL: 9.0–16.3. Eggs are few in number (7–169) early developmental eggs measured on average 0.75 × 0.80 mm; eggs in late stage of development were 0.81 × 0.95 mm on average.

Distribution. Japan, Indonesia, Tonga, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Australia, and Wallis and Futuna Islands (see Remarks).

Coloration. Unknown.

Hosts. Saito & Komai (2008) reported this species in the sponges Hyalonema sp., Semperella sp., Pheronema semiglobosum and Euplectella sp.

Remarks. This species was thoroughly described by Saito & Komai (2008) and is not redescribed here. The mouthparts and variation of spination on the carapace are illustrated here (Figs. 7 A–E, 8F–I). This species was the most numerous encountered during this study and was frequently found associated with the hexactinellid sponge, Pheronema semiglobosum. An additional 10 specimens of this species were examined from the northwest shelf of Australia (NTM Cr 0 0 11112, Cr003652, Cr008128, and Cr008129). De Grave (2004) reported two specimens of Spongicola levigatus from New Caledonia collected with the paratype of the alpheid Batella praecipina and the pontoniid Perclimenes forcipulatus.