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| Petrolisthes coeruleus Hiller & Werding, 2024 |
Abstract
The Petrolisthes galathinus complex currently consists of six American species distributed in the West Atlantic, including the amphi-American P. galathinus. All species in the complex are similar in their adult morphology but differ in colour, size, larval morphology, and shape of the adult sternal plate. The West Atlantic species have different geographic ranges, which overlap in the southern Caribbean. Previously published molecular data support the monophyly of the complex, and the reciprocal monophyly of each described species and further clades corresponding to different colour morphs. Here, the morph P. caribensis “Blue” is described as Petrolisthes coeruleus sp. nov., and Petrolisthes occidentalis is formally resurrected for the Pacific individuals of P. galathinus. By adding these two species to the P. galathinus complex, this now consists of eight species. Colour illustrations of all species and colour morphs are provided and their geographic distributions and ecological ranges are discussed and updated.
Key words: Caribbean, colour morphs, ecological range, geographical range, Petrolisthes coeruleus sp. nov., Petrolisthes occidentalis
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| Dorsal view of Petrolisthes coeruleus sp. nov., male, Punta Galeta, Colón, Panamanian Caribbean. Setae on outer margin of cheliped manus omitted to depict spines. Scale bar: 0.4 cm. |
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| Dorsal view of Petrolisthes coeruleus sp. nov. a male, Islas del Rosario, Colombian Caribbean b male, Islas del Rosario, Colombian Caribbean c Bocas del Toro, Panamanian Caribbean, photograph courtesy of T. Deuss. Scale bars: 0.5 cm (a); 0.65 cm (b). |
Family Porcellanidae Haworth, 1825: 184.
Genus Petrolisthes Stimpson, 1858: 227.
Petrolisthes coeruleus sp. nov.
Etymology: The name coeruleus alludes to the blueish tone of carapace and extremities, which comprises a reliable diagnostic character to distinguish this species from P. caribensis.
Alexandra Hiller and Bernd Werding. 2024. Description of A New Species of the Petrolisthes galathinus complex from the Caribbean Sea, and Resurrection of Petrolisthes occidentalis from the East Pacific (Crustacea, Anomura, Porcellanidae). ZooKeys 1191: 391-407. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1191.111570
