Alpheus gracilis Heller 1861

Alpheus gracilis Heller, 1862

A[lpheus] gracilis Heller, 1862a:271, pl. 3: figs. 19,20 [type locality: Red Sea].

Alpheus gracilis var. Alluaudi Coutière, 1905:882 [type locality: Mahé Island, Seychelles].

Alpheus gracilis var. luciparensis De Man, 1911:338 [type locality: “5700 m. N. 279°E from South point of South-Lucipara-island. Reef.”].

Crangon gracilis var. simplex A.H. Banner, 1953:75, fig. 25 [type locality: Waikiki Reef, Oahu, Hawaii].

Alpheus gracilis—D.M. and A.H. Banner, 1982:60, fig. 13.

DIAGNOSIS.—(Sulcatus Group). Body not unusually compressed or setose; rostrum sharp, not reaching as far as distal margin of 1st antennular segment, rounded dorsally, not carinate, base not abruptly delimited from adrostral furrows; carapace without median tooth or tubercle on gastric region or paired large acute teeth overhanging posterior ends of adrostral furrows, anterior margin unarmed mesial to orbital hoods but deeply incised lateral to base of rostrum, orbital hood armed with sharp marginal spine directed slightly mesiad, adrostral furrows shallowly rounded; 2nd antennular segment slightly longer than wide; basal antennal segment (basicerite) armed with strong and prominent tooth not reaching level of tip of unusually long stylocerite; antennal scale with lateral margin faintly concave, distolateral spine fairly strong and reaching beyond distal margin of blade; anterior pereopods with small acute distal tooth on inferior flexor margin; major chela compressed; 2 times as long as wide, dactyl not curved much beyond longitudinal axis of palm, not double-ended, bearing moderately developed plunger, palm with 1 tooth beside dactylar articulation, without longitudinal carina near margin proximal to fixed finger, with shallow, rounded transverse depression or “saddle” proximal to adhesive plaque and with slight constriction in margin proximal to fixed finger; minor chela 4 times as long as wide, not “balaeniceps” in either sex, tooth on margin of palm at articulation with dactyl; 2nd pereopod with proximal article more than twice as long as 2nd; 3rd pereopod with dactyl biunguiculate or not, propodus with 10 spines on flexor margin, carpus with rounded distal tooth on extensor margin, merus and ischium unarmed; maximum carapace length to base of rostrum about 7 mm.

RANGE.—Red Sea, eastern and possibly South Africa to Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Queensland, Australia, and Pacific islands, including Hawaii and Society Islands.

*35. Alpheus hailstonei Coutière, 1905

Alpheus Hailstonei Coutière, 1905:879, pl. 74: fig. 18 [type locality: Maldive Islands (3 localities)].

Alpheus Hailstonei, var. laetabilis De Man, 1908:98 [type locality: 8 Indonesian localities; 27 to 120+ meters].

Alpheus Hailstonei, var. assimulans De Man, 1908:99 [type locality: 3 Indonesian localities; 54 to 113 meters].

Crangon hailstonei var. paucispinata A.H. Banner, 1953:51, fig. 16 [type locality: off Kauai Island, Hawaii; Hanamaulu warehouse, N. 44°30′, W. 2.6 miles; 125 to 165 meters].

Alpheus hailstonei.—D.M. and A.H. Banner, 1982:38, fig. 6.

DIAGNOSIS.—(Macrocheles Group). Body not unusually compressed or setose; rostrum sharp, not nearly reaching as far as distal margin of 1st antennular segment, rounded dorsally, base not abruptly delimited from adrostral furrows; carapace without median tooth or tubercle or paired large acute teeth on gastric region, anterior margin rather deeply sinuous mesial to orbital hoods, slanting gradually into rostral margin, region not flattened, orbital hood armed with acute marginal tooth, adrostral furrows short and shallow; 2nd antennular segment 3–4 times as long as wide; basal antennal segment (basicerite) with well-developed ventrolateral tooth not overreaching stylocerite; antennal scale with lateral margin concave, distolateral spine not unusually strong but considerably overreaching narrowly tapered distal margin of blade; 1st pereopods with merus armed with acute distal tooth on inferior flexor margin; major chela nearly 2 times as long as wide, dactyl strongly curved toward flexor side of chela, not double-ended, bearing high sharp crest on extensor margin, bulbous distally, without plunger, palm with acute tooth each side of dactylar articulation, carina supporting tooth on mesial side of dactylar articulation interrupted by transverse notch, without “saddle” proximal to adhesive plaque, with subrectangular shoulder on margin proximal to fixed finger; minor chela 4 times as long as wide, dactyl subequal to palm in length, not “balaeniceps” in either sex; 2nd pereopod with proximal carpal article about 1 times as long as 2nd; 3rd pereopod with dactyl usually somewhat biunguiculate, propodus with 11 pairs of spines on flexor margin, merus unarmed, ischium with movable spine; maximum carapace length to base of rostrum about 8 mm.

MATERIAL.—PHILIPPINES. Off Jolo Island, Sulu Archipelago; sta 5138; 6°06′N, 120°58′50″E; 35 m; sand, coral; 14 Feb 1908 (1055–1115); 12′ Agassiz beam trawl, 2 mud bags: 1 ovig female [4.9].

RANGE.—Kenya, Madagascar, Seychelles, Maldive Islands, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, and Hawaii; 27 to 536 meters (the aberrant Philippine specimens reported by D.M. and A.H. Banner, 1978:223 were found in dead coral heads in no more than 5 meters).

MATERIAL.—PHILIPPINES. Visayan Sea north of Cebu: sta 5401; 11°24′45″N, 124°06′E; 55 m; fine sand; 16 Mar 1909 (1005–1032); 6′ McCormick trawl: 2 males [10.1, 10.1]. Near Siasi, Sulu Archipelago: sta 5147; 5°41′40″N, 120°47′10″E; 38 m; coral sand, shells; 16 Feb 1908 (1127–1147); 12′ Agassiz beam trawl, mud bag: 1 female [4.4].

RANGE.—Red Sea, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa, Indian Ocean, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Fiji and Tonga islands; intertidal to 55 meters.