Quollastria striata

Oratosquilla striata

?Squilla gonypetes.—Chopra, 1939:140 [listed], 148, fig. 5 [part; not Squilla gonypetes Kemp, 1911].

?Squilla simulans Holthuis, 1967:7 [part; male paratype only].

MATERIAL.—Persian Gulf; no other data; paratype: 1 , TL 34 mm (MNHNP). Gulf of Oman, off Arabian coast; 25°37'N, 56°34'E to 25°39'N, 56°34'E; 79 m; green muddy sand; Anton Bruun Sta 262A; 1 Dec 1963; holotype: 1 , TL 47 mm (USNM 168859).

DESCRIPTION.—Size small to moderate, total length of adults less than 60 mm. Body appearing smooth, actually minutely pitted under magnification.

Eye (Figure 17b) moderate to small, cornea bilobed, set slightly obliquely on stalk. Eyes not extending to end of first segment of antennular peduncle. Corneal indices 386–407.

Antennular peduncle as long as, or slightly shorter than, carapace. Dorsal processes of antennular somite produced into triangular lobe, apices acute but not sharp, directed anterolaterally.

Rostral plate (Figure 17a) slightly longer than broad, appearing elongate, lateral margins converging on rounded apex. Median carina absent.

Anterior width of carapace variable, slightly less than or slightly more than half of median length, shorter than carapace and rostral plate combined. Anterolateral spines of carapace (Figure 17a) strong but not overreaching base of rostral plate. Median carina interrupted at anterior bifurcation, branches of bifurcation usually poorly formed but distinct. Intermediate carinae not sloping toward laterals, not extending to anterior margin.

Dactylus of claw with 6 teeth, outer margin faintly sinuous, with obtuse projection basally. Dorsal ridge of carpus (Figure 17c) undivided. Inferodistal angle on outer face of merus unarmed.

Exposed thoracic somites (Figure 17d) each with unarmed submedian and intermediate carinae, submedians divergent, intermediates of fifth somite short. Lateral process of fifth somite bilobed, anterior lobe a slender, sharp, anteriorly directed spine, posterior lobe smaller, slender, triangular, directed anterolaterally. Lateral process of sixth somite strongly bilobed, anterior lobe large, subrectangular, posterior lobe subtriangular, apex acute but rounded. Lateral process of seventh somite bilobed, anterior lobe smaller than that of sixth somite, subtriangular or trapezoidal, posterior lobe larger, triangular, apex unarmed.

Submedian carinae subparallel on fifth abdominal somite, slightly divergent anteriorly. Abdominal carinae spined as follows: submedian 5–6; intermediate 3–6; lateral 1–6; marginal 1–5.

Telson (Figures 17e, 18) flattened, slender, slightly longer than broad. Prelateral lobe slightly shorter than margin of lateral tooth. Dorsal surface with numerous longitudinal carinae, number, size, and arrangement variable. Denticles (Figures 17e, f, 18) 4, 7–8, 1, outer submedians and inner and outer intermediates enlarged, rounded, remainder spiniform. Ventral surface with short postanal keel.

Uropod slender, proximal segment of exopod slightly longer than distal, with 8–9 movable spines on outer margin, distalmost short, not extending to midlength of distal segment. Lobe on outer margin of inner spine of basal prolongation (Figure 17g) small or moderate in size, narrower than adjacent spine, margin concave, apex rounded.

COLOR.—Eye with dark lateral patch on stalk. Carapace with 3 distinct pigmented areas: anterior, cardiac, and posterior; anteriormost area diffuse; cardiac patch on midline; posteriormost area U-shaped with chromatophores extending anteriorly along gastric grooves to cervical groove. Carinae and gastric grooves of carapace outlined with dark chromatophores. Claws with patches of dark chromatophores on basis, distolaterally on merus, and distally on propodus. Sixth and seventh thoracic somites with dark submedian carinae, pigment extending laterally onto posterior margin, and dark patches lateral to intermediate carinae. Abdomen with dark posterior line on each somite and with dark patches medially on second somite (middorsally) and fifth somite (on posterior margin, barely differentiated into 2 submedian spots). Intermediate carinae of abdomen lined with dark pigment, flanked laterally by dark patch between intermediate and lateral carina. Sixth somite dark posterolaterally. Telson pattern faded, but with traces of curved lines of dark chromatophores on surface, anterior and posterior dark patches on median carina, and bases of marginal teeth dark. Uropodal protopod with dark pigment on dorsal carina, exopod with trace of dark pigment at articulation extending onto proximal half of distal segment. Distal third or half of uropodal endopod dark.

MEASUREMENTS.—Only male examined, TL 47 mm; only female examined, TL 34 mm. Other measurements of female paratype, TL 34 mm: CL 8.1, anterior width 4.4; cornea width 2.1; antennular peduncle length 8.1; rostral plate length 1.4, width 1.3; telson length 6.9, width 6.6.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known with certainty from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in a depth of 79 m. It may also occur in the Red Sea.