Opecarcinus hypostegus (Shaw & Hopkins 1977)
- Dataset
- Brachyuran crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the remote oceanic Archipelago Trindade and Martin Vaz, South Atlantic Ocean
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Malacostraca
- order
- Decapoda
- family
- Cryptochiridae
- genus
- Opecarcinus
- species
- Opecarcinus hypostegus
description
(Fig. 44 A, D)
discussion
Remarks. Opecarcinus can be readily distinguished from Kroppcarcinus and Troglocarcinus (character states for Kroppcarcinus and Troglocarcinus between brackets) by having the surface of the thoracic sternite of P 1 tuberculate anteriorly in the females (Fig. 44 A) (vs anterior margin of the P 1 sternite tuberculate in Kroppcarcinus; P 1 sternite non tuberculate in Troglocarcinus) (Fig. 44 B, C) and by several differences in the first male gonopods as figured (Fig. 44 D – F). In O. hypostegus, the coxae of P 2 – P 5 are provided with a well-developed anterior lobe in the female, somewhat less developed in the P 2 coxa.
distribution
Distribution. Western Atlantic: Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, and Alagoas) (Kropp & Manning 1987; Johnsson et al. 2006). Opecarcinus hypostegus is here recorded from much farther south in the Vitória – Trindade Seamount Chain (Jaseur and Dogaressa banks, from 60 m and 63 m, respectively). Central Atlantic: Ascension Island (Kropp & Manning 1987). Ecological notes. Opecarcinus hypostegus is an obligate symbiont of scleractinean corals and is known to live in association with several agariciids, such as Agaricia spp. and Helioseris cucullata (Ellis & Solander), but can also be found on siderastreids (Siderastrea spp.) (Kropp & Manning 1987; Johnsson et al. 2006; Moorsel & Meij 2018; García-Hernández et al. 2020). Kropp and Manning (1987) tentatively assigned to O. hypostegus the specimens found on agariciid corals from northeastern Brazil, previously identified as Troglocarcinus corallicola by Coelho (1966).
materials_examined
Trindade and Martin Vaz specimens. None. Vitória – Trindade Seamount Chain material. Brazil: Espírito Santo: 1 male (MZUSP 40810), REVIZEE Expedition, Vitória – Trindade Seamount Chain, Bank Jaseur, PS / V “ Astro Garoupa ”, stn 23 C, 20 ° 29 ’ 00 ’’ S, 36 ° 06 ’ 00 ” W, 8. xi. 1997, 60 m. 1 male (MZUSP 40811), Vitória – Trindade Seamount Chain, R / V “ Marion Dufresne ”, TAAF MD 55 / Brésil Expedition, Dogaressa Bank, stn 25 DC 43, 20 ° 51 ’ S, 33 ° 45 ’ W, 17. v. 1987, 63 m. Comparative material examined. Opecarcinus hypostegus: United States: Florida: 1 ovigerous female (USNM 231681), west Laboratory Dock, 2437 ’ N, 8257 ’ W, 14. viii. 1930, 6.1 m.