A new record from north-western Australia permits the description of the first male of #Griffinia lappace$ (Rathbun, 1918) comb. nov. The morphological features and the shape of the first pleopod merit the creatuib of a new genus for this deep sea species : #Griffinia$ gen. nov. This new includes two other Pacific species, #G. gilloloensis$ (Rathbun, 1916) and #G. polita$ (Griffin and Tranter, 1986). (Résumé d'auteur

Richer de Forges, Bertrand

Horizon / Pleins textes

Tltc Bcaglc, Records of che Museums and Art Galleries of [he Norcliern Tcrricory, 1994 1165-72 
A NEW GENUS OF DEEP-SEA MAJID CRAB : GRIFFINIA GEN. NOV. 
(CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA, BRACHYURA). 
BERTRAND RICHER DE FORGES 
ORSTOM 
B. P. fi, No”? Cedex 
New Caledonia. 
ABSTRACT 
A new record from north-western Australia permits the description of the first male 
of GrifJinia lappacea(Rathbun, 1918) comb. nov. The morphological features and the 
shape of the first pleopod merit the creation of a new genus for this deep sea species: 
Crifinia gen. nov. This new genus includes two other Pacific species, G. gilloloensis 
(Rathbun, 1916) and G. polifa (Griffin and Tranter, 1986). 
KEYWORDS: Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Majidae. Crifinia, new genus, deep- 
sea. 
INTRODUCTION 
In 1990, I found among the deep-sea material 
preserved in the Northem Temtory Museum, 
three specimens of majid crabs from north- 
western Australia belonging to Anfil ibinia 
lappacea Rathbun, 1918. This species is very 
rare and not well known. Rathbun (1918) de- 
scribed it from a single female specimen from 
the Great Australian Bight. Barnard (1950), 
commenting on the South African species 
Antilibinia smithii MacLeay, 1838, remarks that 
A. lappacea: “does not seem .._ to f i t  well into 
this genus”. 
In their preliminary work, listing the very rich 
material collected by the MUSORSTOM 1 cruise 
in the Philippine Islands (Forest. 1981). Serène 
and Vadon (1981) mentioned one female speci- 
men of a “Pisidarum sp”. These authors consid- 
cred it to be an unknown species belonging to a 
new genus. The name Pisidarurn means only 
“genus belonging to Pisidae” (D. Guinot in litt,). 
Griffin and Tranter (1986) found another 
female specimen from Kai Islands (Indonesia) 
and remarked that it looked very similar to the 
Pisidarum sp. of Serène and Vadon. In the 
remarks about the affinities of their new species 
A. polita, Griffin and Tranter noted that “a new 
genus may be required for the western Pacific 
species”. 
After having examined the holotype and the 
first known male of Antilibinia lappacea,  I 
think that the specimen from north-westem 
Australia and the holotype belong to the same 
species (which does not belong to the genus 
Antilibinia). The holotype of A .  gilloloensis 
Rathbun, 1916, and a male specimen of A .  
smithiiMacLeay, 1838, from South Africa, were 
also examined. Therefore, it is necessary to 
separate the Pacific species (A.  lappacea, A .  
gilloloensis, A .  polita) from the type species A. 
smithii, and create for them a new genus,GriBnia 
gen. nov. 
Abbreviations: AM = AustTalian Museum, 
Sydney; M” = Muséum national d’Histoire 
naturelle, Paris; NTM = Museums and Art Gal- 
leries of the Northem Temtory; SAMA = South 
African Museum, Capetown; USNM = National 
Museum of Natural History. Washington. Meas- 
urements arc i n  mm: the lengths are without 
rostrum. 
Super-family Majoidea Samouelle, 1819 
Family Majidae Samouelle, 1819 
Sub-family Epialtinae MacLeay, 1838 
Griffinia gen. nov. 
Antilibinia - Rathbun 1918: 12; Hale 1927: 
133; Griffin 1966: 267: Griffin and Tranter 
1986: 70 (pro-parte: only A .  lappacea). 
The BEAGLE 
Records of 
the Museums and Art Galleries 
L) 
‘ S  
of the Northern Territory 
Volume 11 November, 1994 
Fig. I.Gri/liniogilloloensis(Raihbun, 1916)comh. i iov..niale hulocype 13.1 x 1Omm (USNM48205) 
A. dorsal view; B. dorsal view of carapace. 
66 
North-westem Australian deep-sea majid crabs 
Pisidarum Serhe  and Vadon, 1981: 128. 
nec Antilibinia MacLeay, 1838: 56; Gauss 
1843: 49; Stebbing 1910: 287; Stebbing 1918: 
49; Rathbun 1916: 537; Barnard 1950: 36; 
Sakai 1965: 43; Sakai 1976: 201. 
Diagnosis. A small species, less than 20 mm. 
Carapace pyriform, surface smooth, covered by 
long, thin, spaced hairs; without spines or tuber- 
cles. Rostrum composed of two divergent spines. 
Orbit very open, defined by strong, acute, 
preocularspinejoining avery narrow supraocular 
eave ending in small, blunt, postocular spine. 
Basal antennal article longer than broad. Lat- 
eral border of the carapace with granules. One 
hepatic tooth, well developed in G. lappacea. 
Border of the pterygostomian area serrulate. 
Cheliped merus, carpus and propodus carinate 
in the male. Short ambulatory legs, cylindrical 
in cross-section. Abdomen with seven segments 
in male and six in female (fifth and sixth fused). 
First pleopod of male thin and straight, distally 
flattened with an apical opening. 
Etymology. Dedicated to Dr. D. J. G. Griffin, 
who recognized that the genus Antilibinia was 
heterogeneous. 
Type species. Griffinia lappacea (Rathbun, 
1918). 
Griffinia gilloloensis (Rathbun, 1916) 
comb. nov. 
(Figs 1A-B, 2A) 
Antilibinia gilloloensis Rathbun, 19 16: 537; 
Rathbun 1918: 13; Sakai 1965: 43, fig. 2; Sakai 
1976: 201, fig. 109; Griffin and Tranter 1986: 70. 
Material Examined. 1 male holotype 13.1 x 
10 mm (USNh4 48205), Philippines. between 
Gillolo and Makyam Islands, RV Albatross, st. 
5624. O"12'15"N - 127O29'30"E, 535 m, 29 
November 1909 (M. J. Rathbun det. Antilibinia 
gilloloensis). 
Remarks. Griflnia gilloloensis has a short, 
round shell with long, dispersed setae. The 
rostral spines are very short, the supraocular 
spines are short and there is an hepatic tubercle. 
The pereopods have setae. 
The carapace is shorter in G. gilloloensis t h a n  
i n  G. lappacea; therostral spinesand supraocular 
spines are shorter too. In G. gilloloensis there is 
only an hepatic tubercle but there is a very long, 
blade-like sub-hepatic spine in G. lappacea. 
Rathbun (1916) described this species with- 
out any illustrations and placed it in the genus 
Antilibinia without discussion. The only previ- 
ously published figure is in Sakai's (1965,1976) 
work on Japanese specimens. 
The male first pleopod is straight, thin, with 
a sharp tip (Fig. 2A). 
Distribution. Philippines and Japan. 
Griffinia hppacea (Rathbun, 1918) 
comb. nov. 
(Figs 3A-D, 4B-C) 
Antilibinia lappacea Rathbun, 1918: 12-14, 
fig. 3, pl. 7, fig. 3; - Hale 1927: 133-134, fig. 
133; Barnard 1950: 37; Griffin 1966b: 267-268; 
Sakai 1976: 201; Griffin and Tranter 1986: 70. 
Pisidarum sp. Serhe and Vadon, 198 1: 128, pl. 
IVF. 
Material Examined. AUSTRALIA: Great 
Australian Bight, S ofEucla, 32"s 129'60'E, 366- 
548 m, 5 April 1913, RV Endeavour, ovigerous 
holotype, 12.8 x 9 mm, AME.3659; north-west- 
em Australia, CSIRO cruise 0184, FRV Soela, 
Stn 44, 16O18.13 120°18.7'E, 496-500 m, 5 
I -- :i; ' I
I I I  
l !  i 
i C / I 
i 
i 
I i 
,-". 1 
l 
I i ! 
! A  
Fig. 2. Male first sexual pleopod. A. Grifinia gilloloensis: 
B, C, Anfilibinia smifhii. 
6 1  
B. Richer d e  Forges 
ti 
February 1984, 1 male, 12 x 9.4 mm, NTM 
Cr.000931; FRV Soe la ,  Stn 61, 14O40.7'S 
12I026.7E, 503 m, 12 February 1984,2 oviger- 
ous females, 13.6 x 9.5 mm, 12.6 x 9.3 mm, NTM 
Cr.008505. INDONESIA, East Tanimbar Is- 
lands: Karubar cruise, st.  CP 38, 7O38'41"S 
132O29'22"E, 620-670 m, 28 October 1991, 1 
ovigerous female, 13.2 x 9.2 mm,  MNHN B 
22508; Karubar cruise, st. CP 39, 7O45'43"S 
132O28'22"E, 466-500 m, 3 ovigerous females, 
13.5x9.7mm, 12.3~8.6". 13x9.5mm,MNHN 
B22506. 
v. 
D ii 
Fig. 3. Grtfiniu luppuceu (Rathbun. 1918) comb. nov., male 12 x 9.4 mm. A, dorsal view; B, lateral view: C ,  general view; 
D, fint pleopod, apical part. 
68 
North-western Australian deep-sea majid crabs , . 
Description. The following description, based 
on the I 2  x 9.4 mm male, is the complement to 
Rathbun's 19 18descriptionofthefemale holotype. 
A small species (<20 mm), carapace pyri- 
form, regularly rounded and without spines, 
area non-delimited, entirely covered by very 
long setae, straight and widely dispersed. Bifid 
rostrum, with two long sharp spines divergent 
into a V, setae present. 
Orbit widely open with small eyes borne on 
shortpeduncles. One very strongpreocularspine, 
slightly curved, pointing upward: small blunt 
post-ocular tooth very close to ocular peduncle. 
Sub-hepatic area surrounded by very long, flat- 
tened, curved blade-like spine, directed forward 
and upward (Figs 3B, 4C). Anterior border of 
branchial zone underlined by several large gran- 
ules. Basal antennal article wide, with flat ven- 
tral side. Epistome longer than wide. Superior 
border of buccal cavity with three fissures, the 
median fissure deeper than others. Third 
maxilliped without spines, merus edge serrulate. 
Chelipeds of male strong, with an inflated 
propodus, carinate at its superior edge; carpus 
with high foliate carina: merus also carinate. 
carina higher proximally and distally. 
Ambulatory legs long and slender; first am- 
bulatory legs longer than chelipeds; legs di- 
minishing in size from first to fourth pair; 
articles sub-cylindrical. Merus from second to 
fifth pereopod with bump on distal superior 
edge, spiniform on second. Dactyli long and 
sharp. 
Male abdomen composed of seven segments 
(abdomen of adult female with six segments, 
five and six fused). Male pleopods straight, 
slender, with flattened extremity. sharp tip and 
sub-apical opening (Fig. 3D). 
Distribution. South and north-western Aus- 
tralia, Philippines, Indonesia (Kai Islands). 
Griffinia polira (Griffin and Tranter, 1986) 
comb. nov. 
Antilihinia pulita Grirrin and Trmtcr. 1086: 
70, fig. 19, pl. 8. 
Remarks. The only two specimens known. 
described by Griffin and Tranter (1986) from the 
Mortensen Pacific Expedition in Philippines 
Islands, are now located in the Zoological Mu- 
seum in Copenhagen and were not examined. 
According to the original description, this spe- 
cies belongs to the same genus as G. lappacea, 
but the spines havesomesimilarities withffuetiia 
De Haan, 1839. The carapace is smooth in G. 
polita and has long hairs in the two other 
species, G. gilloloensis and G. lappacea. 
Distribution. Philippine Islands. 
Antilibinia smithii MacLeay, 1838 
(Figs 2B-C, 4A) 
Antilibinia sm'thii MacLeay, 1838: 57, pl. 2; 
- Gauss 1843: 49, pl. 3; Stebbing 1893: 117; 
Stebbing 1910: 287; Stebbing 1918:49;Rathbun 
1916: 537; Rathbun 1918: 13; Barnard 1950: 
38, fig. 7c-d; Griffin 1966: 267; Sakai 1976: 
201; Griffin and Tranter 1986: 70. 
Material Examined. South Africa, Coffee 
Bay, 3 lO59'14"S 29'9'14"E, "Caught on rocks 
just above deep pool at low tide", R. E. St0bb.s 
coll., 5 November 1972, 1 male 55.7 x 52.4 mm, 
SAMA 13381. 
Remarks. Large species. Shell rounded and 
flattened. Very short rostral spines. Strong. 
curved antero-lateral spines. Two strong spines 
on postero-lateral border, one cardiac and one 
branchial area of the shell well delimited. Gas- 
tric area and anterior part of branchial area 
tuberculate. Chelipeds without carinae. Ambu- 
latory legs short with strong articles. First male 
pleopod long and straight. tip with two points 
(Fig. 2B-C). 
DISCUSSION 
The genus Antilibinia was described by 
MacLeay (1838) based on a large species (72 x 
67 mm), A.  smithii. from shallow waters of 
South Africa. Rathbun (1916, 1918) placed the 
genus Anfilibinia i n  the sub-family 
Acanthonychinae. The genus contained three 
specieSA. smithiiMacLeay. 1838, A .  gilloloensis 
Rathbun. 1916 and A .  lappncea Rathbun. 1918. 
Barnard (1950) put this genus in lhe family 
Acanthonychidae and pointed out that the deep- 
water species of South Australia. A lappncen. 
sccms niisplaccd in the gcnus. 
According to Garth (1958). the genus 
Anrilibiniu is clearly i n  the sub-family 
Acanthanychinae. Howcver. Serène and Vadon 
(1981) thought t h a t  their specimen of 
" P  isidarum" belongs to the sub-family Pisinae. 
But, curiously, we can read in the same text 
"Pisidanimsp. est un  spécimen ne correspondant 
àaucun des genres de Pisidae, voirede Majoidea. 
décrit à ce jour". 
69 
8. Richer 
Griffin (1966) placed Aniilibinia’in the sub- 
family Acanthonychinae, characterized by an 
“eye stalk short, little moveable and either con- 
cealed by a preorbital spine or sunk in sides of 
rostrum”. In 1986, Griffin and Tranter put this 
genus in .the sub-family Epialtinae character- 
ized by “a sunken orbit and short, often immo- 
bile, eyestalks and many species have a promi- 
. d e  Forges 
% * 
nent beaked rostrum”; they also pointed out the c. 
diversity in  male pleopods of this group. The 
Epialtinae was by then recognised as the correct 
name for what had been referred to previously as 
the Acanlhonychinae. 
GriffinandTranter(1986)describedanotherspe- 
cies in thc genus Anrilibiniu, A. polira, and pro- 
psedtocmeanew genus forthepacific species. 
Fig. 4. A, Aniilibinia smilhii. male 55.7 x 52.4 mm; B-C, Griffinia lappacea. female holotype 12.8 x 9 mm (AM E3659). 
70 
North-westem Australian deep-sea majid crabs 
The new genus Griffinia differs from 
Antilibinia by the following characters: 
- GrifJinia is composed of small species, but 
the single species of Antilibinia is large: 
- a subpyriform carapace without a marked 
area present in Grijjïnia, subcircular with well 
defined zones in Antilibinia: 
- carapace compressed, with two strong 
branchial and antero-lateral spines in Anlilibinia; 
in Griffinia the carapace is not compressed and 
has only one lateral spine in the hepatic area: 
- female abdomen with seven segments in 
Antilibinia and only six in GrifJinia; 
- long, thin ambulatory legs, articles of 
chelipeds carinate in GrifjTnia, in Antilibinia 
the ambulatory legs are thick and relatively 
short, and the cheliped of the male is stout with 
rounded edges; 
- chelipeds shorter than the first ambulatory 
legs in Grijjïnia; longer in Antilibinia; 
- first male pleopod with one apical spine in  
Grif inia and with two terminal spines in  
Antilibinia. 
Finally, all GrifFnia species are from deep 
waters and Antilibinia is from shallow water. The 
morphological differences between Anfilibinia 
smithii and theGrifFnia species (G.  gilloloensis, 
G. lappacea, G. polira) are very significant. 
In their extensive work on the Majidae of the 
Siboga-Expedition, Griffin and Tranter (1986) 
described a fourth species i n  the genus 
Antilibinia, A .  polira. with a female holotype 
and a male juvenile paratype (6.5 mm). These 
authors recognised that the genus is heterog- 
enous. They remark that A. polira has characters 
in common with Hitenia De Haan, 1839, and 
that the male of A. srnilhii has a first pleopod 
similar to that of Acanth0ny.e Latreille, 1825. 
Describing Japanese specimens of Antilibinia 
gilloloensis, Sakai (1965. 1976) said "As in the 
species of P ugetria, the anterior male pleopod is 
trilobate at tip". On the holotype of A .  gilloloensis 
I observed a pleopod with only one spine as i n  A .  
lappacea. 
The shape of the first pleopod ofGri8inia lap-  
pacea (Rathbun, 1918) looksverysimilarto those 
ofsomeRochinia A. MiheEdwards. 1875. species 
such as R.  lomentosa Griffin and Tranter, 1986. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
I wish to thank Dr. A. J. Bruce who gave me 
the opportunity to report on this interesting 
material located in  the Northern Territory Mu- 
seum: Dr. J. K. Lowry from the Ausnalian 
Museum for help with literature; Dr. D. Guinot 
from MMHN (Paris) for her advice on nomen- 
clature: M. A. Crosnier for locating theKarubar 
specimen ; R. B. Manning from the Smithsonian 
Institution for lending me the Albatross mate- 
rial ; B. Cook from the South African Museum 
for the loan ofA. sm'fhii; K. Handley from AIMS 
and J. L. Menou from ORSTOM who took 
photographs. 
REFERENCES 
Barnard, K. H. 1950. Descriptive catalogue of South 
African Decapod Crustacea (crabs and shrimps). 
Annals of ihe South African Museum 38: 1-837. 
De Haan, W. 1833-1850. Crustacea. In: de Siebold. 
Fauna Japonica. J. Muller: Amsterdam. 
Forest, J. 1981. Compterendu etremarques générales/ 
Report and general comments. In: Résultats des 
campagnes MUSORSTOM I - Philippines ( 1 8 -  
28 mars 1976); Tome l.MPmoiresORSTOM91: 
9-50. 
Garth, J. S., 1958. Brachyura of the Pacific Coast of 
America: Oxyrhyncha. Allan Hancock Pacific 
Expeditions 21: 1-854. 
Griffin, D. J. G., 1966. A review of the Australian 
majid spider crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura). The 
Ausiralian Zoologist S(3): 259-298. 
Griffin, D. J. G. and Tranter. H. A. 1986. The 
Decapoda Brachyura of the Siboga Expedition. 
Part VI1 : Majidae. Siboga-Expedile Mono- 
graphie XXXIX, C4: 1-335. 
Hale, H. M.. 1927. The crus[aceans of Sourli A u s -  
iralia - 1 .  Government Printer: Adelaide. 
K r a u s ,  F.. 1843. Die siidafrikanischen Crustaceen. 
Stuttgart. 
LatTeille, P. A., 1825. Entomologie. ou Hisroire 
nafurelle des Crusiacés, des Arachnides et des 
Insecies. Encyclopedie méthodique d'Histoire 
naturelle 10: 1-832. 
MacLeay, W. S., 1838. Illustrations of the Annulosa 
of South Africa. On the Brachyurous Decapods 
Crustacea brought from the Cape by Dr. Smith. 
pp 53-71. In: A. Smith: Illiislralions of [lie 
Zoology of South Africa. Inverrebratae: Smith. 
Elder and Co. Cornhill. London. 
Rathbun. M. J., 1916. New species of crabs of the 
families Inachidae and Parthenopidae. Proceed- 
ings Uniled Stales Nalional Museum 50: 527-559. 
Rathbun, M. J., 1918. Report on the spider crabs 
obtained by the F. I. S.  "Endeavour" on the 
coasts ofQueensland, New South Wales. Victo- 
ria, South Australia and Tasmania. Zoolog) 
(biology) Results Fishing Experiments Endem.- 
our 5:  1-29. 
Sakai, T., 1965. The Crabs ofSaganii Ba). collecred 
by His Majesty ~ h c  Emperor ofJupnn. ediwd h! 
71 
B. Richer dc Forges 
Biologicai Laboratory, Imperial Household, To- 
Sakai, T., 1976. Crabs of Japan and the adjacent 
seas. Kodansha: Tokyo. 
Samouelle, G., 1819.The entomologist's useful com- 
pendium; or an introduction IO the knowledge of 
British insects. etc. London. 
Serène, R. and Vadon, C. 1981. Crustacés DBcapodes: 
Brachyoures. Liste pr6liminaire. description de 
formes nouvelles et remarques taxonomiques. 
kyo; 
P.( 
. In: Résultats des campagnes MUSORSTOM. I - *' 
Philippines (18-28 mars 1976); T o m e  1.  
Mémoires ORSTOM 91: 117-140. 
Stebbing, T. R. R.. 1910. General Catalogue of South 
African Crustacea. Annals ofthe South African 
Museum 6: 281-593. 
Accepted 23 February 1993 
72 


A new genus of deep-sea Majid crab : Griffinia gen. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Horizon / Pleins textes