Petrolisthes militaris (Heller, 1862)

(Fig. 8 A, B)

Porcellana annulipes White, 1847: 63 (nomen nudum; type locality: Corregidor, Philippines Islands). Porcellana militaris Heller, 1862: 523. (type locality: Nicobars)

Petrolisthes militaris.— Miyake, 1943: 54, 56, text-figs. 1, 2.— Haig, 1964: 357, fig. 1; 1979: 122, fig. 2.— Hsieh et al., 1997: 293, figs. 5G, 11.

Material examined. New Caledonia. Woodin Channel, lagoon, 18 Nov. 1992, coll. J.-L. Menou, 1 male CL 4.1 mm, 1 female CL 4.5 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 6.5 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 22°19.35’S, 166°25.85’E, 10 m, sponge, 10 Nov. 1995, coll. I. Takeuchi, 6 males CL 6.8–10.0 mm, 1 female CL 4.6 mm, 2 ovig. females CL 7.4, 8.3 mm. Nouméa Aquarium, Provenance, lagon, sponge, Sept. 1978, coll. C. Vadon, 1 male CL 5.5 mm. Maitre Islet, channel, lagoon, 25 m, 5 Sep. 1978, coll. C. Vadon, 1 female CL 7.3 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 25 m, rock, alcyonacean and sponge, 5 Sep. 1978, coll. C. Vadon, 1 male CL 4.7 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 25 m, rock, alcyonacean and sponge, 5 Sep. 1978, coll. C. Vadon, 1 male CL 6.0 mm. Récif To, lagoon, outer slope of reef, 30 m, 13 Sept. 1978, coll. C. Vadon, 1 male CL 5.3 mm. Maitre Islet, lagoon, 6–8 m, 29 Mar. 1993, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 male CL 5.1 mm. Nouville, lagoon, 18–20 m, tube of Eunicidae, 1 Apr. 1993, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 male CL 3.8 mm. Récif Senez, lagoon, 7 m, 7 Sep. 1992, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 male CL 3.2 mm. Sargasses, Lagoon, 18 m, 30 Jun. 1992, coll. P. Bouchet, 1 female CL 3.3 mm. Récif Croissant, 20 m, St. 533, 18 Apr. 1994, coll. Bargibant and Menou, 1 male CL 7.6 mm, 4 females CL 4.5–5.9 mm, 3 ovig. females CL 6.7–8.2 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne PALEO-SURPRISES, St. DW1390, 18°27.5’S, 163°08.7’E, 38 m, 11 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 female CL 4.5 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SUR- PRISES, St. CP1376, 18°27.2’S, 163°09.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 female CL 7.2 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1376, 18°27.2’S, 163°09.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 male CL 7.8 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1376, 18°27.2’S, 163°09.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 11 males CL 2.8–9.1 mm, 5 females CL 4.7– 9.1 mm, 6 ovig. females CL 7.9–10.2 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1378, 18°26.3’S, 163°08.2’E, 39 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 1 ovig. female CL 8.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1380, 18°26.9’S, 163°12.7’E, 24–29 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges- IRD, 1 female CL 7.2 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 8.0 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. CP1386, 18°35.0’S, 163°06.0’E, 45 m, 10 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges -IRD, 1 male CL 4.4 mm, 3 ovig. females CL 7.3–9.3 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. DW1390, 18°27.5’S, 163°08.7’E, 38 m, 9 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges-IRD, 2 males CL 4.2, 5.5 mm, 1 ovig. female CL 8.3 mm. N/ O "Alis" Campagne SURPRISES, St. DW1390, 18°27.5’S, 163°08.7’E, 38 m, 11 May 1999, coll. B. Richer de Forges -IRD, 1 female CL 5.1 mm.

Remarks. Petrolisthes militaris resembles P. scabriculus and P. heterochrous, in having a transversely rugose carapace, shallowly concave orbital margin, a pair of the supraocular spines, two pairs of the epibranchial spines, and two or three pairs of the mesobranchial spines. Petrolisthes militaris, however, is immediately distinguished from P. scabriculus by the lack of a spine at the inner orbital angle (Fig. 8 A, C) and from P. heterochrous by the sinuously triangular rostrum (distinctly trilobate in P. heterochrous). The specimens examined of P. militaris lack a distinct fringe of plumose setae on the extensor margin of the chela (Fig. 8 B), which is apparently always present in the material examined of P. scabriculus (Fig. 8 D). Although Haig (1964) pointed out that the presence or absence of the fringe was not a constant character in her material of P. militaris, Hsieh et al. (1997) reported P. militaris from Taiwan and described it as having plumose setae on the extensor margin of the chela.

Distribution. This species is distributed throughout the Indian Ocean including Red Sea; in the Pacific, northward to Tsugaru Strait, Japan, eastward to New Caledonia, southward to northern Australia. It has been reported from coral reefs and from dredge hauls and has a broad bathymetric range from the subtidal to about 180 m; often associated with corals at shallower depths (Haig 1964, 1979).