Solitariopagurus profundus Türkay, 1986

(Figs. 3–4)

Solitariopagurus profundus Türkay 1986: 141, text-figs. 16–29.—Türkay 1996: 49, text-fig. 8.— McLaughlin 2000: 403 [in key, no new material].— McLaughlin et al. 2010: 36 [list].

Holotype. ♂, 3.04 × 2.98 mm, SMF 13568, Central Red Sea, Stat. So-02/51-TA, 21°21.05'N, 38°03.15'E, 1977–1995 m depth, ST-210, 21.X.1977, R.V. "Sonne".

Paratypes. Central Red Sea: Stat. So-02/58-TA, (21°04.7'N, 37°55.4'E), 1424– 1310 m depth, ST-213, 22. X. 1977, R.V. "Sonne" (1 ♂, SMF 13570; 3 ♀, 3.5 × 3.9 mm to 5.1 × 5.1 mm, SMF 13571).—Stat. So-02/392-TA (21°15.5'N, 38°06.56'E), 1800–1960 m depth, ST-219, 17. XII. 1977, R.V. "Sonne" (1 ♂, 4.2 × 4.1 mm; 1 ♀, 3.2 × 3.5 mm, SMF 13578).—Stat. Va-22/163-FM (21°24.47'N, 38°05.95'E), 1850 m depth, KF-2, 27.IV. 1979, R.V. "Valdivia" (1 ♂, SMF 13599).

Other material. Central Red Sea: Stat. Me-5/120-Ku (21°33.2’N, 38°02.2’E – 21°33.8’N, 38°02.2’E), 1635–1672 m depth, 14.II.1987, R. V. "Meteor" (2 ♂, 3.1 × 3.3 mm – 3.3 × 3.6 mm; 1 ♀, 3.6 × 4.0 mm; SMF 46895).

NE of Masamirit: Stat. Me-5/163-Ku (19°17.9’N, 38°51.0’E – 19°16.6’N, 38°52.2’E), 1972–1975 m depth, 22.II.1987, R. V. "Meteor"(1 ♂, 4.9 × 4.5 mm; 2 ♀, 4.2 × 4.7 mm – 4.9 × 5.3 mm; SMF 46896); Stat. Me-5/176-Ku (19°18’N, 38°51.8’E – 19°16.7’N, 38°53.7’E), 1968–1972 m depth, 24.II.1987, R. V. "Meteor" (9 ♂, 4.4 × 4.7 mm – 4.7 × 4.6 mm, SMF 46897; 1 ♀, 3.7 × 4.2 mm, SMF 46898).

Colouration. Carapace with slight pink background and darker red colour on inner hepatic regions. Chelipeds and following two pairs of legs of light colour; carpus, propodus and dactyl of chelipeds with darker red colouration along upper borders.

Remarks. The specimens collected in 1987 during Meteor cruise 5 confirm that this species is characteristic for the central graben of the Red Sea, where it occurs around the brine deeps. So far it is known from the Atlantis II-deep area and south of the Suakin deep (Fig.4). To date, it is not known if this species is associated with the specific environmental conditions around the brines described recently by Antunes et al. (2011) which include microbiological features that dramatically differ from that of the surrounding waters.

While the species of Solitariopagurus have been recorded from the whole Indo-Pacific and also now also from a shallow part of the Red Sea, S. profundus still is endemic to the deep Red Sea. Morphologically it is well distinguishable from all other species of the genus by the smaller corneas and missing protuberances on the anterior carapace shield that are present in all other species of Solitariopagurus. The reduction of the cornea size is an adaptation seen in many deep sea species.

The 1987 collection also confirms that this deep sea species also carries bivalve shells, as was found in the analysis of a trawl sample where one of the specimens from station Me-5/176-Ku was carrying a cuspidariid shell of the bivalve Cardiomya alcocki (Fig. 3).