(FIgS. 1A, B, 2, 3, 4E–H, 5, 6A)
Portunus nipponensis, Crosnier & Thomassin, 1975: 1106, fig. 5c, d [Reunion I.]. Not Neptunus nipponensis Sakai, 1938. Laleonectes nipponensis, Poupin, 2008: 76 [list]. Not Neptunus nipponensis Sakai, 1938.
Type material. HOLOTYPE, MALE, 72.6 [61.0] × 38.4 MM (MNHN-IU-2014-18254 [= MNHN-B6019]), RéUNION, NORTH Of LA POSSESSION, cRAb POT (‘cASIER’), 250 M, cOLL. P. GUéZé, DEc. 1972.
Other material examined. 1 MALE, 59.2 [51.5] × 33.1 MM (ZRC 2017.0335), 1 MALE, 58.7 [48.7] × 29.7 MM (ZSI/ WGRC /IR-INV.8236), Off MUTTAM cOAST, TAMIL NADU, SOUTHWEST INDIA (07°45'N, 76°58'E), TRAWL, cA. 100 M DEPTH, cOLL. A.B. KUMAR & S.S. DEVI, 6 JANUARY 2016.
Comparative material. Laleonectes nipponensis (SAKAI, 1938): 1 MALE, 65.8 [54.3] × 34.9 MM (RUMF-ZC- 2462), SUbMARINE cAVE (AKUMANO-YAKATA), SHIMOJI I., MIYAKO ISLAND-GROUP, RYUKYU IS., JAPAN, ~30 M, cOLL. Y. FUJITA, 27 JAN. 2013; 1 fEMALE, 42.2 [32.2] × 20.2 MM (RUMF-ZC-4703), SUbMARINE cAVE NEAR “ DREAM HALL ”, Off ONNA VILLAgE, OKINAWA I., RYUKYU IS., JAPAN, cOLL. T. NARUSE et al., 1 MAR. 2012; 1 MALE, 52.4 [47.2] × 31.4 MM (LEfT LATERAL SPINE bROKEN Off) (ZRC 2008.0101), BALIcASAg I., PANgLAO TOWN, BOHOL PROVINcE, PHILIPPINES, IN TANgLE NETS, fROM LOcAL fISHERMEN, cOLL. P.K.L. Ng, 27 JUL. 2003; 1 MALE, 51.1 [42.8] × 27.9 MM (ZRC 2017.0009), BALIcASAg I., PANgLAO TOWN, BOHOL PROVINcE, PHILIPPINES, IN TANgLE NETS, 200–300 M, fROM LOcAL fISHERMEN, cOLL. P.K.L. Ng, JUNE 2002.
Description. CARAPAcE (FIg. 1A, B, 2A) TRANSVERSELY SUbOVATE, DISTINcTLY bROADER THAN LONg (CW max/CL = 1.8– 1.9; CW pen/CL = 1.6); REgIONS WELL DEfINED, SEPARATED bY DEEP, SMOOTH gROOVES; DORSAL SURfAcE cONVEX, gRANULATE, WITH LARgER gRANULES ON ANTERIOR HALf. FRONT qUADRIDENTATE, MESIAL PAIR Of TEETH TRIANgULAR WITH ROUNDED TIPS, SEPARATED bY V-SHAPED cLEfT, LATERAL TEETH MORE bROADLY TRIANgULAR, MESIAL MARgINS LONgER THAN LATERAL, SEPARATED fROM ADJAcENT MESIAL TOOTH bY A RELATIVELY WIDER, V-SHAPED cLEfT. SUPRAORbITAL TOOTH [INNER SUPRAORbITAL LObE] PROMINENT, bROADLY TRIANgULAR WITH DORSAL RIDgE, SEPARATED fROM fRONT bY bROAD DEPRESSION; SUPRAORbITAL MARgIN cONcAVE, gRANULATE, WITH TWO NARROW cLEfTS, LATERAL cLEfT SEPARATINg REST Of SUPRAORbITAL MARgIN fROM EXORbITAL TOOTH; INfRAORbITAL MARgIN (FIg. 2A, C, 3A) gRANULATE, PROJEcTINg ANTERIORLY, VISIbLE fROM DORSAL VIEW, LATERAL JUNcTION WITH EXORbITAL TOOTH MARKED bY DEEP NARROW cLEfT, bROAD V-SHAPED cLEfT SEPARATINg LARgE TRIANgULAR INfRAORbITAL TOOTH fROM SMALLER TOOTH AND REST Of MARgIN. ANTEROLATERAL MARgIN (FIg. 2A) SLIgHTLY cONVEX, ARMED WITH NINE DISTINcT, TRIANgULAR TEETH WITH SHARP APIcES, WITH 1st [EXORbITAL] TOOTH SMALLEST, NARROWEST, AND 9th TOOTH LONgEST, MOST PROMINENT, LATERALLY DIREcTED TIP fORMINg MAXIMUM EXTENT Of cARAPAcE WIDTH, MARKINg JUNcTION WITH POSTEROLATERAL MARgIN. APEX Of 2nd ANTEROLATERAL TOOTH LEVEL WITH OR SLIgHTLY ADVANcED RELATIVE TO THAT Of 1st, IN DORSAL VIEW. IN HOLOTYPE, RIgHT 3rd, 4th TEETH MOSTLY fUSED EXcEPT AT APIcES. POSTEROLATERAL MARgIN SLIgHTLY cONcAVE, cONVERgENT POSTERIORLY, LINED WITH TWO SEPARATE ROWS Of SMALL gRANULES; JUNcTION WITH POSTERIOR MARgIN MARKED bY SMALL, SHARP- TIPPED, DORSALLY DIREcTED, cURVED TOOTH (FIg. 2D). POSTERIOR MARgIN SINUOUS, LINED WITH SMALL gRANULES. LONg, TRANSVERSELY SIgMOID gRANULAR RIDgE ON EAcH EPIbRANcHIAL REgION, EXTENDINg fROM bASE Of 9th TOOTH AND TERMINATINg JUST bEfORE cERVIcAL gROOVE; PAIRED, SHORT, HORIZONTAL gRANULAR RIDgES ON METAgASTRIc REgION. GRANULAR DENTIfORM PROJEcTIONS PRESENT ON SOME REgIONS: TWO ARRANgED SIDE-bY-SIDE ON EAcH PROTOgASTRIc REgION; ONE ON MESIAL SIDE Of EAcH EPIbRANcHIAL REgION (AT MESIAL TERMINUS Of EPIbRANcHIAL RIDgE); TWO ON RAISED PORTIONS Of EAcH MESObRANcHIAL REgION; TWO ON cARDIAc REgION. VENTRALLY, SUbHEPATIc REgION AND PTERYgOSTOME (FIg. 3B) SMOOTH TO fINELY gRANULAR, WITH 26 OR 27 ObLONg TUbERcLES fANNINg AcROSS fROM 2nd TO 7th ANTEROLATERAL TEETH Of THE cARAPAcE, DEcREASINg IN SIZE TOWARDS THE 9th ANTEROLATERAL TOOTH, bEcOMINg NEARLY INDISTINgUISHAbLE fROM OTHER SURROUNDINg gRANULES.
EYES (FIgS. 2C, 3A) WELL DEVELOPED, cORNEAS LARgE. ANTENNULES (FIg. 3A) fOLDINg TRANSVERSELY AND SLIgHTLY ObLIqUELY, 2nd AND 3rd SEgMENTS LONg, SLENDER. BASAL ANTENNAL ARTIcLE (FIg. 3A) LONgITUDINALLY REcTANgULAR, SIMPLE, LODgED IN ORbITAL HIATUS, IMMObILE; fLAgELLUM RELATIVELY LONg, TIP REAcHINg cARAPAcE 2nd ANTEROLATERAL TOOTH WHEN EXTENDED. BUccAL cAVITY qUADRATE, LATERAL MARgINS PARALLEL; POSTERIOR MARgIN Of EPISTOME WITH SMALL TRIANgULAR PROJEcTION, bROADLY cONcAVE ON EITHER SIDE; ENDOSTOME WITH PAIR Of STRONg RIDgES. ENDOPOD Of fIRST MAXILLIPED, bROADENINg INTO SUbTRIANgULAR LObE DISTALLY, WITH SLENDER, SUb-ELLIPTIcAL AccESSORY LObE MESIALLY. THIRD MAXILLIPEDS (FIg. 3C) bROAD, fORMINg NARROW HIATUS WHEN cLOSED; IScHIUM SUbREcTANgULAR, WITH RELATIVELY SHALLOW bUT DISTINcT LONgITUDINAL MEDIAN SULcUS; MERUS RHOMbOIDAL, DISTO-LATERAL ANgLE PROJEcTINg, ROUNDED; EXOPOD STOUT, SUbREcTANgULAR, DISTAL END REAcHINg DISTO-LATERAL ANgLE Of MERUS, LATERAL MARgIN STRAIgHT, MESIAL MARgIN cONVEX PROXIMALLY, WITH SUbTRIANgULAR PROJEcTION SUbDISTALLY.
MALE THORAcIc STERNUM (FIg. 2B) bROAD, ANTERIOR THIRD fINELY gRANULAR, POSTERIOR TWO-THIRDS SMOOTH. THORAcIc STERNITES 1, 2 fUSED, fORMINg bROAD TRIANgLE. THORAcIc STERNITE 3 SEPARATED fROM STERNITE 2 bY cOMPLETE SUTURE, ANTERIOR MARgIN Of fORMER RAISED SLIgHTLY AbOVE POSTERIOR MARgIN Of LATTER. THORAcIc STERNITE 4 INcOMPLETELY fUSED WITH STERNITE 3, REMNANTS Of SUTURE 3 /4 LIMITED TO LATERAL EDgES, cONTINUINg MESIALLY AS V-SHAPED fURROW; WITH MEDIAN LONgITUDINAL gROOVE ON EXPOSED REgION, cONTINUINg INTO STERNO-AbDOMINAL cAVITY AS MEDIAN LINE; LATERAL MARgINS cONVEX, gRANULATE. THORAcIc STERNITE 5 WITH PROMINENT TUbERcLE NEAR SUTURE 5/6, fORMINg STERNO-AbDOMINAL LOcKINg MEcHANISM (PRESS-bUTTON). PART Of THORAcIc STERNITE 8 EXPOSED EVEN WITH PLEON fOLDED AgAINST THORAcIc STERNUM. SUTURES 4/5, 5/6 INTERRUPTED MEDIALLY, SUTURES 6/7, 7/8 cOMPLETE, JOININg MEDIALLY. MEDIAN LINE PRESENT IN STERNOAbDOMINAL cAVITY AT LEVEL Of STERNITES 4, 7, AND 8, AbSENT AT LEVEL Of STERNITES 5 AND 6.
MALE PLEON (FIg. 2B, 4E) NARROWLY TRIANgULAR; PLEOMERE 1 SMALL, THIN, PARTLY bURIED bENEATH POSTERIOR cARAPAcE MARgIN; PLEOMERE 2 SHORT, bROAD, WITH TRANSVERSE RIDgE THROUgHOUT bREADTH; PLEOMERES 3–5 fUSED, WITH NOTcH ON LATERAL MARgIN DEMARcATINg JUNcTION Of PLEOMERE 3 AND 4, WITH TRANSVERSE RIDgE AT LEVEL Of PLEOMERE 3, cOMbINED LATERAL MARgINS Of PLEOMERES 4, 5 NEARLY STRAIgHT; PLEOMERE 6 TRAPEZOIDAL, bASAL WIDTH 1.7 TIMES MEDIAN HEIgHT, LATERAL MARgIN NEARLY STRAIgHT. TELSON SUbTRIANgULAR, MEDIAN HEIgHT NEARLY EqUAL TO bASAL WIDTH, TIP ROUNDED, LATERAL MARgINS NEARLY STRAIgHT, SLIgHTLY cONVEX.
CHELIPEDS (FIgS. 1A, B, 2E–H, 4F) SUbEqUAL, ELONgATED, RELATIVELY STOUT. BASIS fUSED WITH IScHIUM, WITH LOW, TUbERcULIfORM PROJEcTION ON ANTERO-DISTAL ANgLE. MERUS RELATIVELY STOUT, ANTERIOR (fLEXOR) MARgIN WITH THREE PROMINENT, cURVED SPINES, REST Of MARgIN LINED WITH LARgE gRANULES; POSTERIOR (EXTENSOR) MARgIN LINED WITH SHARP gRANULES, DISTAL TIP WITH PROMINENT, SHARP SPINE; DORSAL SURfAcE WITH RIDgE cOMPOSED Of 10 STRIDULATORY TUbERcLES (FIg. 4F) NEAR PROXIMAL END, ARRANgED DIAgONALLY fROM fLEXOR MARgIN Of MERUS (AT bASE Of MOST PROXIMAL SPINE), EAcH TUbERcLE ObLONg, bISEcTED bY NARROW SLIT (NOTE: THIS RIDgE MATcHES NEATLY WITH LONgER RIDgE Of TUbERcLES ON SUbHEPATIc REgION Of cARAPAcE; RATcHETINg SOUND cAN bE PRODUcED fROM SPEcIMEN bY ScRAPINg ARTIcULATED MERUS AcROSS SUbHEPATIc REgION). CARPUS WITH DISTINcT SPINE ON INNER DISTAL ANgLE, DORSO-EXTERNAL SURfAcE WITH TWO SPINES (ONE bIg, ONE SMALL) AND TWO LONgITUDINAL ROWS Of SHARP gRANULES. PALM Of cHELA (FIg. 2E–H) ELONgATE; EXTERNAL SURfAcE WITH THREE LONgITUDINAL cRESTS, LOWEST cREST SURMOUNTED bY ROW Of SMALL ROUND gRANULES, UPPER AND MIDDLE SURMOUNTED bY ROW Of LARgER, SHARP gRANULES, LARgE bROAD SPINE ON POINT Of ARTIcULATION WITH cARPUS, MARKINg PROXIMAL END Of MIDDLE LONgITUDINAL cREST, SMALLER bLUNT SPINE ON DISTAL END Of UPPERMOST cREST; UPPER SURfAcE Of PALM WITH SHARP, PROMINENT cREST fORMINg INNER MARgIN, TERMINATINg DISTALLY IN SHARP SPINE, WITH SUb-MARgINAL ROW Of gRANULES; INTERNAL SURfAcE Of PALM WITH TWO SMOOTH LONgITUDINAL cRESTS, ONE MEDIALLY POSITIONED AND ONE PLAcED LOWER cONTINUINg fAINTLY INTO fIXED fINgER. FINgERS LONg, SLENDER, cURVED AND POINTED AT TIPS; EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SURfAcES cHANNELLED WITH gROOVES; cUTTINg MARgINS LINED WITH LARgE, bROAD-bASED, POINTED TEETH INTERSPERSED WITH SMALLER, SIMILARLY SHAPED TEETH, OPPOSINg TEETH REcIPROcALLY fILLINg gAPS WHEN fINgERS cLOSED. MAJOR cHELA MUcH STOUTER THAN MINOR cHELA, cUTTINg EDgE Of DAcTYLUS WITH MODIfIED ELONgATE, ObLIqUELY ORIENTED TOOTH NEAR PROXIMAL END, OPPOSITE fLAT, MOLARIfORM TOOTH ON fIXED fINgER. FIXED fINgER Of MINOR cHELA DEfLEXED DOWNWARDS.
FIRST TO THIRD AMbULATORY LEgS, P2–P4 (FIgS. 1A, B, 4G), LONg, SLENDER, UNARMED; MERI SUb-cYLINDRIcAL, LENgTH AbOUT 4.7–5.7 TIMES WIDTH; cARPI SUbcYLINDRIcAL, WIDER DISTALLY THAN PROXIMALLY, ANTERIOR MARgIN SUb-cRISTATE, WITH LOW, ROUNDED, LONgITUDINAL RIDgE ON DORSAL SURfAcE; PROPODI LONg, SLENDER, fLATTENED, LENgTH AbOUT 4.3–5.2 TIMES WIDTH, ANTERIOR MARgIN WITH LOW cREST, DORSAL AND VENTRAL SURfAcES WITH SHALLOW LONgITUDINAL gROOVES; DAcTYLI NARROW, SPATULIfORM, ENDINg DISTALLY IN SHARP cHITINOUS TIP, WITH fIVE SMOOTH cRESTS DISTRIbUTED ON ANTERIOR MARgIN AND ON DORSAL AND VENTRAL SURfAcES, LENgTH AbOUT 6.4–7.9 TIMES WIDTH.
LAST AMbULATORY LEg, P5 (FIgS. 1A, B, 4H), MUcH SHORTER, STOUTER, DISTAL ARTIcLES fLATTENED AND WIDENED; MERUS AND cARPUS, SHORTER, STOUTER RELATIVE TO THOSE Of P2–P4, MERUS LENgTH AbOUT 1.9–2.4 TIMES WIDTH, cARPUS LENgTH AbOUT 1.5–1.7 TIMES WIDTH; PROPODUS AND DAcTYLUS MUcH fLATTENED AND WIDENED, ANTERIOR MARgINS Of PROPODUS AND ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR MARgINS Of DAcTYLUS LINED WITH fINE SETAE; DAcTYLUS ENDINg DISTALLY IN A SHARP, cHITINOUS TIP.
G1 (FIg. 5A) cURVED LATERALLY AND OUTWARDLY IN SITU; PROXIMAL HALf WIDE, DISTAL HALf SLENDER, SINUOUS, ESPEcIALLY WHEN VIEWED LATERALLY; ON DISTAL HALf Of SLENDER PORTION, MESIAL MARgIN LINED WITH LONg, STIff, SPINIfORM SETAE, ON PROXIMAL HALf Of SLENDER PORTION, MESIAL MARgIN LINED WITH SUPPLE, PLUMOSE SETAE. G2 (FIg. 5B, C) LONg, SLENDER, AbOUT TWO-THIRDS LENgTH Of G1, SLIgHTLY cURVED, DISTAL TIP bILObATE, LObES SUbEqUAL. PENIS LONg, EMERgINg fROM gONOPORE ON P5 cOXA, ANTERIOR TO cOXO-STERNAL cONDYLE.
Live coloration. DORSAL cARAPAcE AND PEREOPODS gENERALLY YELLOWISH ORANgE. DORSAL SURfAcE Of cARAPAcE WITH IRREgULAR SPLOTcHES Of RED, PARTIcULARLY ON METAgASTRIc AND cARDIAc REgIONS, LARgE gRANULES ALSO RED. PEREOPODS WITH RED AND ORANgE bANDINg PATTERN (FIg. 6A).
Etymology. THE SPEcIfIc EPITHET Of THE NEW SPEcIES IS DERIVED fROM THE MALAYALAM WORD fOR SHORT, “KURIYA”, IN ALLUSION TO THIS SPEcIES’ APPARENTLY SHORTER LEgS RELATIVE TO ITS cLOSEST cONgENER, L. nipponensis. IT IS USED AS A NOUN IN APPOSITION.
Remarks. Laleonectes kuriya sp. nov. cAN bE DISTINgUISHED fROM THE TYPE SPEcIES, L. vocans (cf. RATHbUN 1930: PL. 25 fIg. 3; MANNINg & CHAcE 1990: fIg. 33), bY THE fOLLOWINg fEATURES: THE MORE PROJEcTINg fRONTAL TEETH, PARTIcULARLY THE LATERALS (FIg. 2A) [VS. LATERALS LOW IN L. vocans]; THE bROADER PENULTIMATE (8th) TOOTH ON THE ANTEROLATERAL MARgIN Of THE cARAPAcE (FIg. 2A) [VS. bASE Of PENULTIMATE TOOTH MUcH NARROWER IN L. vocans]; AND THE THREE WELL-DEVELOPED SPINES ON THE fLEXOR MARgIN Of THE P1 MERUS (FIgS. 1A, B, 4F) [VS. ONE SHARP SPINE AND ONE gRANULAR TOOTH ON fLEXOR MARgIN Of P1 MERUS IN L. vocans]. THE G1 MORPHOLOgY Of L. vocans IS NOT KNOWN.
THE NEW SPEcIES MAY bE DISTINgUISHED fROM L. stridens (cf. CROSNIER & MOOSA 2002: fIgS. 3A, 5A, B) PRIMARILY bY THE fORM Of THE G1 AND G2, bOTH Of WHIcH ARE MUcH LONgER AND MORE SLENDER, WITH THE G1 HAVINg STIff SPINIfORM SETAE ON THE MESIAL MARgIN Of ITS DISTAL HALf, IN L. kuriya (FIgS. 5A–C) [VS. SHORTER, STOUTER, AND WITHOUT STIff SPINIfORM SETAE IN L. stridens]. FURTHERMORE, L. kuriya sp. nov. DIffERS fROM L. stridens IN HAVINg: (1) THE cARAPAcE ANTEROLATERAL AND POSTEROLATERAL MARgINS LESS EXTENDED (FIg. 2A) [VS. cARAPAcE ANTEROLATERAL AND POSTEROLATERAL MARgINS LONgER IN L. stridens]; (2) THE LAST (LARgEST) TOOTH ON THE cARAPAcE ANTEROLATERAL MARgIN SHORTER AND STOUTER (FIg. 2A) [VS. LONgER AND MORE SLENDER IN L. stridens]; (3) A MUcH MORE gRANULAR cARAPAcE, WITH DEEPER fURROWS (FIg. 2A) [VS. SMALLER AND LESS WIDELY DISTRIbUTED gRANULES, SHALLOW fURROWS ON THE DORSAL cARAPAcE]; AND (4) RELATIVELY SHORTER AND STOUTER PEREOPODS (FIgS. 1A, B, 4G, H) [VS. LONgER AND MORE SLENDER IN L. stridens].
Laleonectes kuriya sp. nov. IS MOST SIMILAR TO L. nipponensis (SAKAI, 1938) IN THE fORM Of THE cARAPAcE AND G1 AND IN gENERAL cOLOUR PATTERN (cf. SAKAI 1938: TEXT-fIg. 1, PL. 16 fIg. 1; SAKAI 1939: TEXT-fIgS. 6, 7, PL. 82 fIg. 1; SAKAI 1976: TEXT-fIg. 186, PL. 119 fIg. 3; MIYAKE 1983: PL. 29 fIg. 2). IT, HOWEVER, DIffERS fROM L. nipponensis IN THE fOLLOWINg MORPHOLOgIcAL fEATURES: (1) THE AMbULATORY LEgS ARE RELATIVELY SHORTER AND STOUTER: fOR INSTANcE, THE DISTAL ENDS Of THE P2 AND P3 MERI DO NOT OVERREAcH THE DISTAL END Of THE P1 MERUS (FIg. 1A, B) [VS. DISTAL ENDS Of P2, P3 MERI cLEARLY OVERREAcHINg DISTAL END Of P1 MERUS IN L. nipponensis; cf. FIgS. 1C, D; SAKAI 1939: TEXT-fIg. 6; PL. 82 fIg. 1); AND THE LENgTH-TO-WIDTH RATIOS Of cORRESPONDINg ARTIcLES ARE LOWER, E.g. AVERAgE Of 5.0 fOR P4 MERI, AND 4.4 fOR P4 PROPODI (FIg. 4G) (VS. HIgHER LENgTH-TO-WIDTH RATIOS IN L. nipponensis, E.g. AVERAgE Of 6.3 fOR P4 MERI, AND 6.4 fOR P4 PROPODI (FIg. 4E)]; (2) THE cHELIPEDS ALSO TEND TO bE STOUTER IN L. kuriya (FIgS. 1A, B, 4F) cOMPARED TO THOSE Of L. nipponensis (FIgS. 1C, D, 4B); (3) PLEOMERE 6 IS RELATIVELY LONgER, NARROWER AND ITS LATERAL MARgINS NEARLY STRAIgHT (FIg. 4E) [VS. PLEOMERE 6 SHORTER & WIDER; LATERAL MARgINS MORE cONVEX IN L. nipponensis; FIg. 4A]; (4) THE PROXIMO-LATERAL SHELf Of THE G1 IS LONgER, AND THE DISTAL HALf IS STOUTER AND LESS cURVED (FIg. 5A) [VS. PROXIMO-LATERAL SHELf SHORTER, DISTAL HALf MORE SLENDER AND cURVED IN L. nipponensis; FIg. 5D]; AND (5) ON THE DISTAL TIP Of G2, THE LATERAL LObE IS SUbEqUAL IN LENgTH TO THE MESIAL LObE (FIg. 5B, C) [VS. LATERAL LObE IS MUcH SHORTER THAN MESIAL LObE IN L. nipponensis; FIg. 5E, F].
Laleonectes kuriya sp. nov. IS PRESENTLY KNOWN ONLY fROM RéUNION AND fROM THE SOUTHWESTERN cOAST Of INDIA, fROM DEPTHS Of AT LEAST 100 M. BY cONTRAST, L. nipponensis APPEARS TO bE WIDESPREAD, HAVINg bEEN REPORTED IN THE PAcIfIc REgION fROM JAPAN—KII PENINSULA (SAKAI 1938, 1939, 1976; MIYAKE 1983), MALAYSIAN BORNEO—Off PONTIANAK (SERÈNE 1971); INDONESIA—BANDA & TAJAUDE (=TALAUD?) ISLANDS (STEPHENSON 1972; TUAMOTU ARcHIPELAgO—MURUROA (POUPIN 1996: PL. 17 fIgS. b, c; CROSNIER & MOOSA 2002); cENTRAL PHILIPPINES (Ng et al. 2008: fIg. 117); AND EASTER ISLAND (BOYKO & LIgUORI 2014). FURTHERMORE, L. nipponensis HAS bEEN cOLLEcTED fROM SHALLOWER DEPTHS AS WELL AS fROM DEEP WATER (12–250 M). FOR INSTANcE, bOTH SPEcIMENS fROM RYUKYUS EXAMINED HERE (1 ADULT MALE AND 1 JUVENILE fEMALE) WERE cOLLEcTED bY DIVERS IN SUbMARINE cAVES AT A DEPTH Of APPROXIMATELY 30 M. THE HOLOTYPE Of Portunus oahuensis EDMONDSON, 1954 (= L. nipponensis), WAS REPORTEDLY cOLLEcTED fROM A SHALLOW REEf (VIZ. EDMONDSON 1954: 245). STEPHENSON’S (1972) REcORD fROM THE TALAUD (MISSPELLED AS “TAJAUDE”) AND BANDA ISLANDS, IN INDONESIA (NOT PHILIPPINES AS MISTAKENLY REPORTED), cONSISTS Of fOUR JUVENILE SPEcIMENS cOLLEcTED AT A DEPTH Of 15–25 M. BOYKO & LIgUORI (2014) REPORTED TWO SPEcIMENS fROM EASTER ISLAND; ONE ADULT MALE WAS cOLLEcTED fROM A SUbMARINE cAVE AT A DEPTH Of 12 M, WHILE A JUVENILE MALE WAS cOLLEcTED fROM bENEATH A DOcK AT A DEPTH Of 15 M.
THERE ARE ALSO REcORDS Of L. nipponensis fROM THE INDIAN OcEAN. THE REcORD Of KATHIRVEL & GOKUL (2010) fROM THE GULf Of MANNAR cOULD NOT bE cONfIRMED AS THERE IS NO EVIDENcE THAT VOUcHER SPEcIMENS WERE DEPOSITED IN A REfERENcE cOLLEcTION. POUPIN (2010) ALSO REPORTS L. nipponensis fROM MAYOTTE (DEPTH: 15–30 M) IN THE MOZAMbIqUE CHANNEL. HIS SPEcIMEN, A YOUNg MALE (SEE HTTP://cRUSTAcEAMAYOTTE.fREE.fR/ILLUSTRATION.PHP?N=1&SP=398), APPEARS TO bE A SPEcIES Of Laleonectes, bUT THE SPEcIES cANNOT bE cONfIRMED AS IT HAS NOT bEEN EXAMINED bY THE PRESENT AUTHORS. THESE REcORDS MAY REfER TO L. kuriya sp. nov., INSTEAD.