Ciliopagurus vakovako Poupin 2001

Ciliopagurus vakovako Poupin, 2001: 292, figs 1a, 2a-d, 3b, 4 [type locality: Eiao I., Marquesas Is., French Polynesia].

Ciliopagurus krempfi – Forest 1995a: 59 (in part, only specimens from Marquesas) [not Ciliopagurus krempfi (Forest, 1952)].

Ciliopagurus strigatus – Forest 1995a: 50 (in part, only specimens from Marquesas) [not Ciliopagurus strigatus (Herbst, 1804)].

TYPE MATERIAL. — Marquesas Is., Eiao I., 1-2 m, 1 ♂ holotype 4.3 mm (MNHN 5896), Nuku Hiva I., Anao bay. — Nuku Hiva I., 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ paratypes (MNHN Pg 5897). — Ua Huka I., 2 ♀♀ paratypes (MNHN Pg 5898); 1 ♀ paratype (leg to WAM); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ paratypes, 1 paratype in shell (leg to ZRC). — Ua Pou I., 2 ♂♂ paratypes (MNHN Pg 5901).

SHELLS. — Conidae: Conus tessulatus Born, 1778. Olividae: Oliva sp.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — French Polynesia. Marquesas Is, Eiao I., snorkelling 1-2 m, coll. J. Poupin, 7.IX.1997, 1 ♂ 4.3 mm (holotype MNHN Pg 5896). — Nuku Hiva I., Anao bay, scuba diving at night, coll. P. Laboute, 21.IX.1997, 3 ♂♂ 3.4-6.2 mm, 1 ♀ 2.8 mm (MNHN Pg 5897). — Nuku Hiva I., west side of Taiohae Bay, Marquesas Expedition, stn STA-NH-III, 1-3 m, 16.IX.1967, 1 ♂ 5.3 mm, 1 ♀ 5.5 mm (WAM C25048). — Tahuata I., FRV Marara, stn D47, 9°54.3’S, 139°06.5’W, dredge 48 m, 31.VIII.1990, 2 ♀♀ 1.4, 2.3 mm (MNHN Pg 5439). — Ua Huka I., Teuahia bay, MUSORSTOM 9, stn 25, 8°55.7’S, 139°36.7’W, dredge 6-15 m, coll. R. von Cosel, J. Tardy & J. Tröndlé, 16.IX-19.X.1997, 2 ♀♀ 1.6, 7.3 mm (MNHN Pg 5898, ♀ 1.6 mm DNA H277- EF683563). — Hane bay, MUSORSTOM 9, stn 29, 8°55.7’S, 139°32.0’W, dredge 7-11 m, coll. von Cosel et al., 16.IX-19.X.1997, 1 ♀ 3.7 mm (WAM leg. from MNHN collections). — Haavei bay, Tenoni point, “île aux Oiseaux” (Teuaua islet), MUSORSTOM 9, stn 34, c. 8°56.8’S, 139°35.7’W, dredge 10-15 m, coll. von Cosel et al., 16.IX-19.X.1997, 2 ♂♂ 1.2, 1.9 mm, 2 ♀♀ 2.3, 3.8 mm, 1 additional specimen in its shell (ZRC leg from MNHN collections). — Ua Pou I., MUSORSTOM 9, stn CP1264, 9°21.3’S, 140°07.7’W, 53-57 m, 3.IX.1997, 2 ♂♂ 3.2, 3.5 mm (MNHN Pg 5901, ♂ 3.2 mm DNA H278- EF683564).

DISTRIBUTION (Fig. 9). — French Polynesia, Marquesas Is. (Eiao I., Nuku Hiva I., Tahuata I., Ua Huka I., Ua Pou I.). Collected from the intertidal to 10-20 m, with a single record at 53- 57 m.

DIAGNOSIS. — Ocular peduncles 0.60-0.77 times as long as shield (average 0.70). Distal segment of antennular peduncle 0.21-0.31 times as long as shield (average 0.27). Ocular acicles with 3-5 terminal spines, usually 4. Chelipeds equal; outer face of chelae with 3 complete transverse striae, 1 proximal striae interrupted near ventral margin of the palm and 2 short striae situated in ventral half between striae 1-2 and 2-3. These striae are smooth or with minute spinules. Chela 0.74-0.94 times as long as shield (average 0.84); ratio of height to length 0.60-0.98 (average 0.74); fingers 0.44-0.63 times as long as chela (average 0.54). Stridulating area with 4 distinct areas composed of parallel corneous crests; distal area the largest with 8-11 distally rounded or acute crests; 6th to 8th crest longest, about 0.50 times as long as stridulating area. Merus of cheliped without prominent tubercle on ventral surface. Dactyl of third ambulatory leg 0.90-1.16 times as long as propodus (average 1.07). Posterior lobes of telson subequal to moderately asymmetrical with 2-4 inconspicuous spines on terminal margins.

COLORATION (Fig. 1C). — Antennular and antennal peduncles reddish-orange, flagella cream; ocular peduncles and ocular acicles reddish-orange, cornea black. Chelipeds (Fig. 3C) and ambulatory legs (Fig. 4C) with bright red rings alternating with narrower yellow rings. Chelipeds (Fig. 3) with red rings disposed on meri, carpi, and palms of chelae; fingers of chelae uniformly pale orange. Ambulatory legs (Fig. 4C) with red rings on meri, carpi and propodi; dactyls uniformly pale orange, terminal claws black. Shield cream with some light orange mottling on posterior half. Abdomen red, striped with undulating transverse, almost parallel yellow lines.

REMARKS

By its coloration Ciliopagurus vakovako cannot be confused with any species of the “ strigatus complex” (see Fig. 1). It bears some resemblance to C. tricolor, with similar pale orange colour on the fingers of chelae and dactyls of ambulatory legs, but the coloured rings disposed on the remaining parts of these appendages are uniformly red in C. vakovako instead of being bluish white and red in C. tricolor.

Morphological characters used by Poupin (2001) to distinguish C. vakovako, C. strigatus and C. tricolor are not confirmed in this work by examination of more specimens of each species.The difference in the striation pattern of the outer face of chela between C. strigatus and C. vakovako (Poupin 2001: fig. 3) now clearly appears to be size related and is not confirmed for specimens of similar size (compare outer face of chelae in Figure 3A and 3C). Similarly, differences tentatively indicated by Poupin (2001) between C. vakovako and C. tricolor are not confirmed. In both species the posterior margins of both lobes of the telson can be unarmed or with few minutes spines (usually 1-4) and the proportion of the ocular peduncles are likewise in both species. In C. vakovako and C. tricolor, respectively, the mean length of ocular peduncle divided by shield length is 0.70 and 0.67 (see Table 1 and Fig. 8) and length of ocular peduncle divided by diameter of cornea is 4.60 and 4.97. The small differences between these means are not statistically significant (P<0.05).

In conclusion, the possibility considered by Poupin (2001) that the minor morphological differences used to separate C. vakovako, C. tricolor, and C. strigatus are artifacts due to comparison of specimens of unequal size is confirmed in this study after examination of more specimens. Live coloration thus remains the only confident way to separate these species.