Portunus hastatus (Linnaeus 1767)

Portunus hastatus (Linnaeus, 1767)

Lupa hastata.—Barrois, 1888:14.

Neptunus (Amphitrite) hastatus.—Lenz and Strunck, 1914:278.

Neptunus hastatus.—Capart, 1951:125, fig. 44 [part, not specimen from Guinea].—Chapman and Santler, 1955:374.—Monod, 1956:203, figs. 232–235 [no material].

Portunus hastatus.—Figueira, 1960:8.—Zariquiey Alvarez, 1968:384, figs. 125d,e, 126c, 128a,b [Spain; references].—Türkay, 1976b:61 [listed], 64, pl. 1: figs. 1, 2.

SYNONYMS.—Cancer ponticus Herbst, 1790; Portunus Dufourii Latreille, 1819; Eriphia prismaticus Risso, 1827; Neptunus hastatus rubromaculatus Steinitz, 1932.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: None.

Other Material: Madeira: Canical, 30 fm (55 m), seine, 18 Apr 1916, A. C. de Noronha, 1à (W). Machico Bay, seine, 16 Apr 1916, A. C. de Noronha, 1 (W). Same data, 30 Jun 1916, 2 (W). Same data, 5 Nov 1921, 12, 11 (6 ov) (W).

Angola: 8 mi [13 km] W of Rio Cuanza, 09°20′S, 13°04′E, 20–22 m, muddy sand, 31 Jan 1949, Expédition Océanographique Belge, Sta A. S. 116, 1, 1 ov (Brussels).

DESCRIPTION.—Capart, 1951:126.

Figure: Capart, 1951, fig. 44.

Male Pleopod: Monod, 1956, figs. 232–235 (Lebanon).

MEASUREMENTS.—Our specimens have carapace widths of 18 to 45 mm; the carapace widths of the ovigerous females from Madeira range from 18 to 26.5 mm, that from Angola is 42 mm.

DISTRIBUTION.—Eastern Atlantic, where it occurs primarily in the Mediterranean. Outside of that sea it has been recorded from the following:

Azores: Ponta Delgada, Ilha de São Miguel (Barrois, 1888; Lenz and Strunck, 1914). Ilha do Faial (as Fayal) (Chapman and Santler, 1955). Ilha do Pico (Figueira, 1960).

Madeira: Funchal, from fish market, Prainha[?], and Ponta de São Lourenão, 15–20 m (all Türkay, 1976b).

Angola: 8 mi [13 km] W of Rio Cuanza, 09°20′S, 13°04′E, 20–22 m (Capart, 1951).

*Portunus inaequalis (Miers, 1881)

Neptunus hastatus.—Capart, 1951:125 [part, not fig. 44].—Rossignol, 1957:123 [key]. [Not Portunus hastatus (Linnaeus, 1767).]

Neptunus inaequalis.—Monod, 1956:198, figs. 225–231.—Buchanan, 1958:24.—Longhurst, 1958:87.—Gauld, 1960:69.—Rossignol, 1962:116.—Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968:40, 44, table 1, figs. 49, 61; 1969:63, 65.—Türkay, 1976b:61 [listed] 64, pl. 1: figs. 3, 4.

Portunus inaequalis.—Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962:47.—Ribeiro, 1964:6.—Forest and Guinot, 1966:63.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Ivory Coast: Sta 47, 37 m, bottom with Jullienella, 12, 7, 3 juv (W).

Ghana: Sta 24, 35–37 m, dark red bryozoans, 1 juv (L). Sta 26, 27 m, shell bottom (scallops), 3, 1 ov (L). Sta 27, 33 m, 1 (L).

Nigeria: Sta 246, 37 m, 1 (L). Sta 248, 33 m, 1, 1 ov (L). Sta 250, 24 m, brackish water, mud, 1, 1 (L). Sta 252, 30 m, mud, 1, 1 (L).

Other Material: Ghana: Chorkor, near Accra, Dec 1950, R. Bassindale, 1 (L).

DESCRIPTION.—Carapace more than twice as broad as long, regions distinct, surface roughened. Gastric region with long patch of raised granules, with curved branches extending onto protogastric region. Metagastric region with 2 raised submedian lobes ornamented with enlarged tubercles. Cardiac region with 2 raised submedian lobes, often united posteriorly in form of V. Epibranchial ridges raised, granular, sinuous. Mesobranchial region with raised prominence mesially, flanked laterally by 1 or more oblique granular ridges. Hepatic region with curved, granular ridges. Frontal teeth triangular, submedians smallest, sharpest, second pair larger and more triangular than blunt inner orbital spines. Interantennular spine small, visible in dorsal view. Anterolateral margin with 9 sharp, separate spines, outer orbital (first anterolateral) blunter than next spine; lateral spine long, at least as long as space occupied by preceding 4 or 5 spines, slender, curved upward and forward. Small patch of iridescence present between bases of spines. Posterolateral margins unarmed. Chelae long, slender, merus longer than carapace, subequal. Dorsal surface of merus irregular, anterior margin with 4 or 5 spines, occasionally 1 smaller spine distally, posterior and ventral margin each with 1 distal spine. Carpus with inner and outer spine. Propodus with 1 spine proximally and 2 spines distally on upper margin. Fingers slender, shorter than palm. Pereiopods 2–5 with iridescent lines. Merus of fifth leg unarmed. Sternum and abdomen smooth.

Figures: Monod, 1956, figs. 225–231.

Male Pleopod: Monod, 1956, figs. 227–231 (Senegal, Sierra Leone).

Color: The following observations on color were provided by Monod in his list of material of this species:

Très marbrés; en alcool une tache rouge plus ou moins marquée sur le dactyle p5 [1956:200, Senegal]…; rouge brique; tache carminée sur la partie postérieure du dactyle p5; ligne carmin sur la crête inf. du propode pl, se prolongeant sur le doigt fixe; face interne du dactyle également carmin [1956:202, Guinea]…; traces de tache rouge au dactyle p5 [1956:202, Ghana].

The dark red color on the dactylus of the last leg also is characteristic of P. hastatus (Linnaeus).

MEASUREMENTS.—Our specimens have carapace widths of 16 to 53 mm; the measurable ovigerous female has a carapace width of 25 mm.

BIOLOGY.—Portunus inaequalis is a shallow water species, living near shore to a depth of 60–73 m, generally in depths of less than 40 m. It can tolerate waters of reduced salinity. The Pillsbury took it in brackish water on mud in 24 m off Nigeria, and Longhurst (1958), who reported it from Sierra Leone, characterized it as an estuarine-shelf species; he found it on stones, sand, and shelly sand in 10–25 m. Sourie (1954b) reported it from fine shelly sand with mud, bottom with Molgula hannensis Pérès, in 2–7 m in the Baie de Dakar. Buchanan (1958) found it in the sandy silt community in 8–20 fm (15–37 m) off Ghana. Guinot and Ribeiro (1962) reported it from algae and rocks and on sand in 10 m. It was reported from a variety of bottom types by Forest and Guinot (1966): shell in 20–25 and 27 m; mud, shells and Cidaris in 60–73 m; sand or muddy sand and Foraminifera in 5 and 21–27 m; calcareous algae in 5, 6, and 12 m; rocks and coral in 3–10 m; sand and calcareous algae in 4–5 m; and from a sand beach, 0–4 m.

Le Loeuff and Intès (1968:44) found that off the Ivory Coast the species lived on sand or muddy sand and was rarely observed on mud. There it generally lives at depths between 30 and 35 m, not going below 40 m, although during periods of upwelling or cooling part of the population was found at 15–20 m; in warm periods it generally was found below 25 m.

Only two of the Pillsbury samples were taken at stations on mud; the species was found on shell bottom with scallops, on bottom with dark red bryozoans, and bottom with Jullienella.

Ovigerous females have been collected in March, April, May, June, July, September, and November (Monod, 1956; Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964; Forest and Guinot, 1966; Pillsbury).

DISTRIBUTION.—Off West Africa, from Madeira and from Senegal to Angola, in shallow water, from shore to a depth of 60–73 m, generally in less than 40 m. Monod (1956) recorded material from the Cape Verde Islands, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gabon, and Principe. Since 1956 it has been recorded from the following localities.

Madeira: No specific locality (Türkay, 1976b).

Cape Verde Islands: Baía de Porto Grande and Baía de Calheta, 8–16 m, São Vicente; Baía da Fajã di Agua (? = Porto da Fajã) and Porto da Furna, 4 m, Brava; Tarrafal and Porto da Praia, São Tiago; and Tarrafal, São Nicolau (all Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962; Ribeiro, 1964).

Guinea-Bissau: 10°19′N, 16°34′W, 60–73 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Sierra Leone: No specific locality, 10–25 m (Longhurst, 1958).

Ivory Coast: No specific locality (Le Loeuff and Intès, 1969). 05°00′N, 05°28.5′W, 27 m; 05°03′N, 05°25′W, 20–25 m; and 05°02.5′N, 05°25′W, 21–27 m (all Forest and Guinot, 1966). Off Sassandra, off Fresco, off Grand-Lahou, off Jacqueville, and off Grand-Bassam, 8–40 m (Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968).

Ghana: Off Accra, 8–20 fm (15–37 m) (Buchanan, 1958); 10–32 m (Gauld, 1960).

Principe: Between Ilheú Santana and Ponta Capitão, 12 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

São Tomé: Baía de Ana de Chaves; Praia de Santa Catarina, W coast, 3–10 m; in front of Ponta Oquedelrei, 6 m; Morro Peixe, 0–4 m; Ilhéu das Cabras, 4–5 m; off São Tomé, 5 m (all Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Annobon: 01°26′20″S, 05°36′25″E, 22–25 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Congo: W of Pointe-Noire (Rossignol, 1962).

Gabon: 00°38′25″S, 08°46′E, 5 m (Forest and Guinot, 1966).

Angola: Baía de Caota, Benguela, 10 m (Guinot and Ribeiro, 1962).

*Portunus validus Herklots, 1851

Lupa Cranchiana White, 1847a:27 [nomen nudum; under Neptunus sanguinolentus].—Monod, 1970:66, 72.

Neptunus validus.—Pechüel-Loesche, 1882:287.—Büttikofer, 1890:466, 487, fig. on p. 465.—Johnston, 1906:862.—Frade, 1950:11, 26.—Capart, 1951:123, fig. 43.—Monod, 1956:196, fig. 224.—Rossignol, 1957:80, 123 [key], pl. 2: fig. 6.—Buchanan, 1958:20.—Longhurst, 1958:87.—Gauld, 1960:69.—Rossignol, 1962:115.—Crosnier, 1964:32, 87, 90, 92, 98, 105, 106, 110, 112, 120, 121.—Crosnier and Berritt, 1966:68, 100, 101, 102, 109, 123, 127, 131, 132, 136.—Le Loeuff and Intès, 1968:40, 46, table 1, figs. 49, 61; 1969:64, 65.

Callanectes sp.?.—Irvine, 1932:14.

Callinectes Gladiator.—Irvine, 1932: fig. 9 [not C. gladiator Benedict, 1893 = C. pallidus (De Rochebrune, 1883)].

Callinectes gladiator.—Irvine, 1947: fig. 203 [not C. gladiator Benedict, 1893 = C. pallidus (De Rochebrune, 1883)].

Callinectes latimanus.—Irvine, 1947:297 [not Callinectus latimanus Rathbun = C. amnicola (De Rochebrune, 1883)].

Portunus validus.—Monod, 1967:180, pl. 15: fig. 1 [no locality]; 1970:66, 72.—Uschakov, 1970:439, 455 [listed].—Baron, 1975a:3–13 [physiology]; 1975b:103, figs. 1–4.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Pillsbury Material: Nigeria: Sta 241, 59–63 m, mud and shell, 1 (L). Sta 252, 30 m, 2, 2 (W).

Other Material: Liberia: Off St. Paul River, Monrovia, 3–6 fm (5–11 m), 4 Mar 1953, G. C. Miller, 1 (W). Liberia, 1881, J. Büttikofer, 2 (L).

Ghana: Elmina (as St. George-del-Mina), 1840–1855, H. S. Pel, lectotype, 1 (L). Same data, paralectotypes, 2 (L). Accra, 1868–1869, M. Sintenis, 1 (L).

Cameroon: Batanga, 17 Sep 1930, A. J. Good, 1 (W). Between Kribi and Douala, at Yaounde fish market, 14 May 1964, B. de Wilde-Duyfjes, 1, 2 (L). Kribi, beach seine, 9 Mar 1964, B. de Wilde-Duyfjes, 1 (L). Same, 10 Aug 1964, B. de Wilde-Duyfjes, 1 (L).

Angola: No specific locality, 1879, P. Kamerman, 2 (L).

DESCRIPTION.—A. Milne Edwards, 1861:321; Capart, 1951, fig. 124.

Figures: A. Milne Edwards, 1861, pl. 29: fig. 1; Capart, 1951, fig. 43; Monod, 1956, fig. 224.

Color: The carapace is rather uniformly greenish gray with some brown tinges. A large conspicuous, white triangular spot is present on each side just before the middle of the posterolateral margin. This white spot is surrounded by a ring of darker gray than is on the rest of the carapace. The posterior margin also is white. The uniform color of the carapace contrasts strongly with the brightly marbled upper surface of the chelipeds (Figure 22). The upper half of each cheliped is very dark purple with numerous rather large white spots, which at some places are confluent. The lower half of the cheliped is white. The same marbled purple color is present on the upper half of the merus and carpus of the next 3 legs, the purple color and size of the white spots being very variable. The propodus and dactylus are greenish gray as is the carapace. The fifth leg has the upper surface of all segments except the dactylus purplish to greenish with white spots. The dactylus is gray dorsally with a white streak along the basal half of the outer margin. The lower surface of the body and legs is uniformly pale.

Irvine (1947:297, under Callinectes latimanus) described the color of this species as follows: The carapace “is khaki in colour, with a bluish tinge. The claws are blue….The legs are also blue….”

Capart (1951:124) gave the following color account of this species: “Carapace bleu-vert, avec deux taches blanches sur les aires branchiales.”

Rossignol (1957:81) gave the following color description:

Le et la sont identiques. Face dorsale:

a. Carapace: marron ou brun violacé plus ou moins irrisé, avec deux taches arrondies d'un blanc crème sur chaque aire branchiale en arrière des dents postérieures. Souvent, une autre petite tache blanche de forme imprécise juste au-dessus de la précédente. Extrémité de la dent postérieure blanche.

b. Chélipèdes: brun-violacé marbré de blanc (mérus, carpe, propode, dactyle). Face interne de la pince: moitié inférieure de la paume blanche: pouce bleu turquoise.

c. Pattes: bleu turquoise avec des taches blanches sur le mérus (P2, P3). P4 et P5: mérus et carpe brun-violacé marbré de bleu et de blanc. Dactyle de P5 beige légèrement rosé.

Face ventrale de la carapace et face externe des pinces: blanc crème.

MEASUREMENTS.—The carapace width of our specimens varies between 62 and 180 mm. In the literature males with carapace lengths of 46 to 114 mm, carapace widths of 85 to 205 mm, females with carapace lengths of 41.5 to 93 mm, widths 82 to 190 mm, and ovigerous females with carapace lengths of 83 to 97 mm, widths of 150 to 170 mm, have been reported.