Cycloxanthops occidentalis (A. Milne-Edwards 1868)

Cycloxanthops occidentalis (A. Milne Edwards, 1867)

Cycloxanthops occidentalis.—Monod, 1956:301, figs. 368–370 [Senegal; references].—Gauld, 1960:70 [Ghana].—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:57 [Angola].—Guinot, 1968a:700 [discussion].—Crosnier, 1969:530 [Congo].—Guinot, 1971:1068 [listed].

DISTRIBUTION.—West Africa, from the Cape Verde Islands and Senegal to Angola; intertidal to 23 m.

Domecia Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842:234 [type-species: Domecia hispida Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842, by monotypy; gender: feminine; name 144 on Official List].

Neleus Desbonne and Schramm, 1867:35 [type-species: Neleus acanthophorus Desbonne and Schramm, 1867, by monotypy; gender: masculine].

*Domecia acanthophora africana Guinot, 1964

Domecia hispida.—Monod, 1956:273.—Forest, 1959:22.—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:52. [Not Domecia hispida Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842.]

Domecia sp.—Ribeiro, 1964:8.

Domecia acanthophora.—Forest and Guinot, 1966:73 [not Domecia acanthophora Desbonne and Schramm, 1867].

Domecia acanthophora forma africana Guinot, 1964:272, figs. 6, 10–12, 16, 17.—Forest and Guinot, 1966:73 [discussion].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Annobon: Sta 273, shore, 1 (L). Sta 282, 18–37 m, nodular coralline algae, 1 (W).

Other Material: Annobon: S coast, 01°28.5′S, 05°37.5′E, 35–55 m, 16 Jun 1967, F. Poinsard, 1 (W).

DESCRIPTION.—Guinot, 1964:273–278 (comparison with the Indo-West Pacific D. hispida Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842 and D. glabra Alcock, 1899).

Figures: Guinot, 1964, figs. 6, 10–12, 16.

Male Pleopod: Guinot, 1964, figs. 11, 12 (Cape Verde Islands; Annobon).

MEASUREMENTS.—Our specimens have carapace widths of 4 mm.

REMARKS—In 1964 Guinot clarified the status of the species of Domecia and recognized three species, two of which, D. hispida Eydoux and Souleyet, 1842 and D. glabra Alcock, 1899, are restricted to Indo-West Pacific localities. She pointed out that the oldest available name for the Atlantic species, previously thought to be D. hispida, actually was D. acanthophora (Desbonne and Schramm, 1867), a species originally described from Guadeloupe in the Antilles. She further recognized Domecia acanthophora forma africana, an infrasubspecific name without standing in nomenclature, for the smaller West African population of D. acanthophora, and noted (Guinot, 1964:281) that “les petites différences (pilosité, spinulation [and size]) séparant nos exemplaires ouest-africains des spécimens est-américains sont sans doute liées à des conditions écologiques différentes”

Our material is too limited to add any new information but we believe that east and west Atlantic subspecies should be recognized in this case.

BIOLOGY.—This species usually is associated with coral; it appears to be quite abundant in rocks and coral as well as in the beds of coralline algae off São Tomé and Annobon islands in the Gulf of Guinea (Forest and Guinot, 1966), based on collections made by the Calypso. Off West Africa it occurs from the intertidal zone to a depth of 35–55 m; of 14 stations at which this species was taken by the Calypso, 10 were in depths of 10 m or less.

Off West Africa, ovigerous females have been collected in June and August (Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964; Guinot, 1964; Forest and Guinot, 1966).

DISTRIBUTION.—Atlantic; an insular form off West Africa, occurring in the Cape Verde Islands and the offshore islands of the Gulf of Guinea, Annobon, Principe, and São Tomé, in depths from shore to about 35 m (15–40 m and 35–55 m). Records in the literature include the following:

Cape Verde Islands: No specific locality (Monod, 1956; Guinot, 1964). Channel between Santa Luzia and Illhéu Branco, 18 m (Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964). Baía de Santa Clara, São Tiago, 15–35 m; Porto da Praia, São Tiago, 10 m; Ponta da Areia, Fogo, 2.5 m; Ponta Garbeiro [?], Brava; Ilhéu de Sal Rei, Boavista, 7 m (all Guinot, 1964).

Gulf of Guinea: No specific locality (Forest, 1959).

Principe: Ilhéu Caroço, 2–8 m; 01°38′25″N, 07°21′35″E, 35 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

São Tomé: Between Ponta Oquedelrei and Ponta de São Sebastião, 5 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966). Ponta Diogo Vaz, W coast, 0–6 and 30 m; Praia de Santa Catarina, W coast, 3–10 m; Baía de São Miguel, 6–10 m; Ilhéu Macaco [as îlot dos Cocos], 3–8 m; Morro Peixe, 2–6 m; Ilhéu das Cabras, 0–2 m; and Ponta Furada, 3–8 m (all Guinot, 1964; Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Annobon: Off Annobon, 12 m (Monod, 1956; Guinot, 1964). Santa Cruz bay, 8–12 m (Guinot, 1964). 01°24′04″S, 05°36′45″E, 7–10 m; Isla Tortuga, NW side, 15–40 m; 01°25′10″S, 05°36′10″E, 20–25 m (Guinot, 1964; Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Epixanthus Heller, 1861:323 [type-species: Epixanthus kotschii Heller, 1861, a subjective junior synonym of Ozius frontalis H. Milne Edwards, 1834, by monotypy; gender: masculine; name 299 on Official List].

*Epixanthus hellerii A. Milne Edwards, 1867

Epixanthus helleri.—Monod, 1956:236, figs. 270–272.—Longhurst, 1958:88.—Gauld, 1960:70.—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:51.—Ribeiro, 1964:8.—Forest and Guinot, 1966:68.—Garth, 1968:314 [discussion].—Uschakov, 1970:445, 447, 455 [listed].

SYNONYM.—Ozius corrugatus Osorio, 1887.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Fernando Poo: Sta 258, shore, 3, 4, 4 juv (L,W).

Other Material: Sierra Leone: Aberdeen, J. Cadenat, Mar 1948, 1 (W).

DESCRIPTION.—A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1900:83.

Figures: Monod, 1956, figs. 270–272.

Male Pleopod: Monod, 1956, figs. 271, 272 (Sierra Leone).

MEASUREMENTS.—Our specimens have carapace widths of 5 to 25 mm.

BIOLOGY.—Epixanthus hellerii is a primarily intertidal species which may also occur subtidally in shallow water; Forest and Guinot (1966) reported one specimen from a depth of 3–10 m off Principe. Sourie (1954a) noted that this species was a characteristic component of the understone fauna of rocky shores of Senegal, and Uschakov (1970) found it in the inferior mesolittoral zone of rocky shores off Guinea, a zone with red algae and Padina.

Ovigerous females have been recorded in March and November (Monod, 1956).

DISTRIBUTION.—West Africa, from the Cape Verde. Islands and Senegal to Angola, including Fernando Poo, Principe, São Tomé, and Annobon. Monod (1956), who reported material from the Cape Verde Islands, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ghana, summarized earlier records. Records in the literature since 1956 include the following:

Cape Verde Islands: Baía das Gatas, São Vicente (Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964).

Guinea: Île Tamara, Îles de Los; Conakry (Uschakov, 1970).

Sierra Leone: No specific locality (Longhurst, 1958).

Ghana: Tenkpobo (as Tenpobo), Dixcove (Gauld, 1960).

Principe: Ponta da Mina, beach; Ilhéus dos Mosteiros, 3–10 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

São Tomé: Off São Tomé; Iógoiógo; W of Ponta Diogo Nunes; Ilhéu das Cabras, 0–2 m; and Santana (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Annobon: No specific locality (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Eriphia Latreille, 1817a:404 [type-species: Cancer spinifrons Herbst, 1785, a subjective junior synonym of Cancer verrucosus Forskal, 1775, by selection by H. Milne Edwards, 1842, in 1836–1844, pl. 14: fig. 1; gender: feminine; name 1621 on Official List].