Harpiosquilla melanoura

Harpiosquilla melanoura Manning, 1968

Squilla raphidea.—Stephenson and McNeill, 1955, p. 239 [part] [not S. raphidea Fabricius].

Harpiosquilla melanoura Manning, 1968b, pp. 14 [key] 18, fig. 5.

MATERIAL.—1 ♂ , 161 mm; Rose Bay, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia; in prawn net; 10 March 1925; AM P–7929.—1 ♂, 151 mm; Andaman Sea, Mergui Archipelago; 09° 13′N, 97°51′E; 58–60 m; ANTON BRUUN Cruise 1, Sta. 20; IIOE; 23 March 1963; SI Crust. 125719.—1 ♀, 128 mm; Andaman Sea, off Burma; 14°07′N, 97°05′E; 69–73 m; ANTON BRUUN Cruise 1, Sta. 38; IIOE; 30 March 1963; SI Crust. 125358.

In addition to these specimens I have examined the type-series, 2 ♂ , TL 102–129 mm, 2 ♀, TL 126–136 mm, from the Banc de Pracel, western coast of Madagascar.

DIAGNOSIS.—Size moderate, adults with TL less than 170 mm; antennular peduncle not so long as carapace and rostral plate combined; corneal indices ranging between 229 and 271 (Table 1); rostral plate (Figure 19) longer than broad, lateral margins tapering to slender median projection; carapace without median carina; upper margin of propodus of claw with smaller spines and denticles between largest spines;

dactylus of claw with 8 teeth, outer margin of dactylus with prominent angular projection in adult males; fifth thoracic somite (Figure 21) rounded laterally; posterior 3 thoracic somites lacking submedian carinae; intermediate carinae of thoracic somites unarmed; ventral keel of eighth thoracic somite rounded; first to fifth abdominal somites lacking submedian carinae, abdominal carinae spined as follows: submedian 6, intermediate (2) 3–6, lateral 1–6, marginal 1–5; denticles 5–7, 9–12, 1; marginal carina of telson almost 3 times as long as carina of lateral tooth; postanal keel not extending halfway between anus and posterior margin; distal segment of uropodal jet black.

COLOR.—Inner and outer surfaces of antennular peduncles with distal black spot on each segment; anterolateral angle of antennal scale dark, anterointernal angle dark in some specimens; basal portion of rostral plate with oval area outlined with dark pigment; anterolateral margins, gastric grooves, and posterior median margin of carapace dark, median area, anterior to cervical groove, with dark oval patch; merus of claw with 3 dark spots, 1 at inner distal margin, 1 on proximal edge of dorsal depression, and 1 subdistally on outer surface; propodus of claw with inner and outer dark spot; posterior 3 thoracic and anterior 5 abdominal somites (sixth in some specimens) with posterior black lines; second abdominal somite with thin, transverse dark bar, traces of dark pigment also present medially on third to fifth somites; dorsal surface of telson with proximal submedian pair of oval dark spots, surface pits also dark; ventral surface of telson dark along midline, with dark patch at base of each tooth; anterior edge of basal segment of uropod dark; distal portion of proximal segment of uropodal exopod dark, distal segment of exopod jet black; distal half or two-thirds of endopod dark. The overall color pattern is shown in Figure 18.

SIZE.—Only male examined, TL 161 mm; females TL 128–151 mm. Including the type-series from Madagascar, males are known to range between TL 102–161 mm, females between TL 126–151 mm.

Other measurements of a female, TL 151 mm: carapace length 31.2; cornea width 11.5; antennular peduncle length 31.7; rostral plate length 6.4, width 5.0; raptorial propodus length 43.4; fifth abdominal somite width 32.2; telson length 28.5, width 27.6.