20 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 



species proves to be conspecific with G. incipiens, the older name 

 G. confinis will have to be used for the species. 



Gonodactylus incipiens resembles G. choprai in lacking dorsal spinules 

 on the carinae of the telson, but the former differs in having a small, 

 fixed distal spine on the ventral surface of the proximal segment 

 of the uropodal exopod. 



Both G. incipiens and G. espinosus differ from all other species 

 reported herein in having the lateral process of the sixth thoracic 



Figure 7. — Gonodactylus incipiens Lanchester, male, TL 18.8, Hull Island: a, last abdominal 

 somite, telson, and uropod; b, rostral plate; c, uropod, ventral view; d, submedian teeth 

 of telson, ventral view. 



somite noticeably broader and more truncate than that of the seventh 

 somite; in all the other species the lateral processes are subequal 

 in size. 



Lanchester (1903) recognized two forms in his G. c. var. incipiens: 

 G. c. var. incipiens a was based on a small female, TL 16.5, from 

 Funafuti, Ellice Ids., and is the form recognized herein as a distinct 

 species; G. c. var. incipiens b was based on de Man's (1898) figure 

 of a specimen of G. chiragra, presumable G. chiragra, sensu stricto. 



