Upogebia brasiliensis Holthuis 1956

Upogebia brasiliensis Holthuis, 1956

Upogebia brasiliensis Holthuis, 1956:175, figs. 1, 2.—Gomes Corrêa, 1968:97–109, figs. 22–27, 32, 33 [comparisons].—Ngoc-Ho, 1979:147, 151–153, figs. 3a,b [comparisons, distrib., Georgetown, Guyana, not Esmeraldes, Ecuador].—Coêlho and Ramos-Porto, 1987:35 [key, distrib.].—Coêlho and Rattacaso, 1988:383 [N and S of Pernambuco but not within].

Upogebia (Upogebia) brasiliensis.—Coêlho, 1971:231 [habitat].

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—BELIZE: USNM 251424, 1 (juv.), halfway between Salt Creek and Colson Pt., 1 m, 33°C, 34 ppt, M.L. Jones, sta CB-40A, 16 May 1977.

SURINAM: USNM 251194, cephalothorax, 1 ovig., Clevia water side [5°52′N, 55°09′W], R.C. Gongryp.

FRENCH GUIANA: MNHNP Th-517, 1 , 1 , Golfe de Cayenne [mouth of Rivière de Cayenne], F. Geay.

BRAZIL: Bahia: MZUSP 8954, 1 , Itaparica, 18 Aug 1970; USNM 251195, 1 ovig., Prado Praia do Torora, intertidal, M.L. Christoffersen, 12 Oct 1982. Paraná: MZUSP (unnumbered), 2 , 8 (6 ovig.), Antonina, Ponta de Pita, under rocks with mud, R.D.D., 26 Feb 1970. Santa Catarina: USNM 152479, 2 , 2 ovig., São Francisco (also labeled Rio de Janeiro), W.L. Schmitt, sta 47, 30 Oct 1925; USNM 251196, 22 , Ponta da Cruz, São Francisco, littoral in soft granite, W.L. Schmitt, sta 45 and 46, 28 and 29 Oct 1925; USNM 251197, 78 , same; USNM 251198, 76 ovig., same.

DIAGNOSIS.—Projections to either side of rostrum ending in acute spine. Postocular spine present. Abdominal sternites unarmed; AVI with anterolateral lobe, but lacking hooked anterolateral spine. T subrectangular. Carpus of cheliped with 2 strong spines on anteromesial margin. Merus of P2 without proximal mesioventral spine, but with subdistal dorsal spine; merus of P4 spineless.

DESCRIPTION.—Rostrum triangular, broader at base than length of sides, usually straight in lateral view; tip usually exceeding eyestalks in male but often exceeded by eyestalks in mature female; dorsal pair of strong apical spines followed on each side by 2, rarely 3, spines of nearly equal size; posteriorly divergent lateral ridge bearing crest of about 12 rather blunt-tipped spines, spine on process lateral to rostrum followed first by 4–7 rather strong spines, remainder abruptly decreasing and diminishing almost to obsolescence posteriorly. Shoulder lateral to cervical groove almost never ornamented, very rarely bearing 1 or 2 obsolete tubercles or spines below intersection with thalassinidean line, latter continuing to posterior margin. Postocular spine present, rarely doubled.

Abdominal sternites unarmed.

T bearing prominent transverse proximal ridge confluent with longitudinal ridge at each side.

Eyestalk stout, occasionally with small subterminal spine mesially or with minute tubercle on upper surface near cornea; cornea narrower than diameter of stalk, directed anterolaterally.

A1 peduncle reaching to about base of terminal article of A2 peduncle, its proximal 2 articles together about as long as terminal article.

A2 peduncle with about its length extending beyond tip of rostrum; articles spineless; scale moderate, oval, sometimes ending in minute point.

Mxp3 with small epipod.

Epistomial projection rather broad in lateral view, bearing 1 apical projection.

Chelipeds massive. Coxa unspined on mesiodistal margin. Ischium bearing 1 ventral spine or tubercle. Merus with row of 1–5 (rarely 6) short spines on ventral margin, subdistal dorsal spine (rarely doubled) reaching level of postocular spine. Carpus trigonal, shallow longitudinal groove laterally; 0–1 small spine at anterior ventrolateral corner, occasionally preceded by 1 or more smaller spines in male; mesiodorsal crest of 1–5 almost uniform small spines behind variably prominent spine on anterior margin, partly obscured by setae in proximal part of row, and 1–4 short spines obscured by setae on anterodorsal margin mesial to articulation with propodus; 1 moderately strong spine near middle of anteromesial margin, and often a smaller spine dorsal to it; very strong spine below at distoventral corner. Chl about 2.3–3.2 times chh; obsolescent spineless dorsal ridge terminating anteriorly near usually obsolescent subdistal spine (often missing) mesial to it; mesiodorsal row of small spines becoming obsolescent at about – (rarely ) length, spines in entire row irregular and often obsolescent; 1–2 distomarginal spines below lateral dactylar condyle and 1–4 below mesial one (spines often obsolescent); lower mesial palmar surface bearing transversely arcuate low ridge near proximomesial corner. Fixed finger usually almost as long as dactyl, slightly downcurved in middle and tapering to slender tip, 3–5 teeth on proximal prehensile edge (tip often broken off in preserved samples). Dactyl in male with corneous tip preceded on prehensile edge by subdistal tooth (often worn) and row of closely crowded moderate but irregular teeth increasing proximally to larger tooth in first of length, basal section toothless; corneous tip in female preceded on prehensile edge by strong subdistal tooth opposing tip of fixed finger, section proximal to this bearing about 4–7 closely set small teeth increasing proximally, then large tooth often standing alone at length, basal section toothless; curved extensor surface bearing about 3–4 small tubercles proximally, mesiodorsal surface bearing files of pearliform tubercles diminishing distally, 2 rows in adult male, 1 in adult female.

P2 reaching about to distal of palm; carpus spineless; merus with 1 subdistal dorsal spine and no proximal mesioventral spine. Merus of P3 with cluster of small spines or tubercles ventrolaterally on proximal , ischium spineless P4 with spineless merus.

U with acute spine on protopod above base of mesial ramus; mesial rib of lateral ramus usually unarmed, bearing at most an obsolescent tubercle proximally, distal margin of both rami bearing more or less evenly spaced granules.

MEASUREMENTS (in mm).—, acl 8.3, cl 11.5, chl 9.0, chh 4.0; ovig., same, 7.7, 10.8, 7.0, 2.6.

COLOR.—Abdomen of most individuals and eggs of ovigerous females bright orange; carapace and central of median dorsal abdomen slate gray, not so noticeable in field as in white plate some hours after collected, setae on forepart of carapace dirty cream buff; stomach showing, particularly on sides, between slate and indigo; telson mostly transparent; chelae with flush of buff pink or vinaceous pink; legs opaque white (from field notes by W.L. Schmitt, presumably pertaining to the most abundant of two species collected at sta 46, 28–30 Oct 1925, Purdy-Walter Rathbone Bacon Travelling Scholarship).

KNOWN RANGE.—Belize?, Surinam to Santa Catarina, Brazil. The small male from Belize seems to possess characters of the species, but it is from a locality far removed from the continuous distributional range of the species. I place it provisionally in U. brasiliensis until its identity can be confirmed by more material from the area.