34 



p.a. Mclaughlin 



face ventrally with low protuberances and tufts of setae. Ischium 

 with few low spinules on ventromesial margin. Left cheliped 

 with few more spinules on dorsal surface of palm; carpus with 

 two strong corneous-tipped spines on dorsomesial margin and 

 blunt protuberance in line with tubercle on proximal margin of 

 palm; ventromesial margin of merus with row of few small 

 spines or two small spines distally and two, plus low 

 protuberance, medially, with additional protuberance 

 proximally; lateral face with two spines at ventrolateral distal 

 angle and low protuberances on ventrolateral margin. 



Ambulatory legs similar from left to right. Dactyls 

 approximately 1.5 times longer than propodi; in dorsal view 

 straight, in lateral view slightly curved; dorsal surfaces flattened, 

 and with rows of tufts of stiff setae, lateral faces each with 

 longitudinal row of tufts of stiff setae; ventral margins with row 

 of tufts of stiff setae and row of minute corneous spinules, 14 

 (spaced distally to proximally 8,5,1) on left third (lectotype), 

 right third with 10, left second with 13, all in distal half; 

 paralectotypes usually with 10-13 spinules in distal half and one 

 or two proximally. Propodi slightly less than twice length of 

 carpi; lateral faces each with distinctly developed dorsolateral 

 margin and tufts of setae; dorsal surfaces somewhat flattened 

 and with numerous tufts of setae; ventrolateral distal angles 

 each with one or two spines, ventral margins with tufts of setae. 

 Carpi 0.66 to 0.90 length of meri; each with spine at dorsodistal 

 margin and tufts of setae on dorsal and lateral faces. Meri with 

 tufts of setae dorsally and ventrally; ventrolateral distal angles 

 each with one acute spine and ventral margins of second also 

 with low protuberances. Ischia with tufts of setae on ventral 

 margins. Fourth pereopods each with acute spine at dorsodistal 

 margin of carpi. Sternite of third pereopods with 

 subrectangular anterior lobe, anterior margin slightly rounded. 

 Uropods asymmetrical. Telson with transverse suture; 

 posterior lobes slightly asymmetrical, separated by small 

 median cleft; terminal margins each with three to five small 

 spines, larger on left. 



Colour. Unknown. 



Distribution. At present recognized only from the type 

 locality, Delagoa Bay, South Africa. 



Affinities. Clibanarius astathes shares with C. padavensis De 

 Man, 1888, dactyls of the ambulatory legs that are longer than 

 the propodi. Barnard (1926) listed the latter species from 

 Delagoa Bay, and subsequently (Barnard, 1950) gave a brief 

 diagnosis of that species. The ratio of cornea diameter to ocular 

 peduncle length cited by Barnard is less than that given by De 

 Man ( 1 888) in his original description, or later by Alcock (1905), 

 and the illustrated propodus of the left third pereopod (Barnard, 

 1950: fig. 80d) is appreciably shorter and stouter than that 

 described for C. padavensis. However, if the colour patterns 

 described by Barnard actually were taken from his specimens, 

 one must assume that his identification was correct, and that C. 

 astathes and C. padavensis exist sympatrically in the Delagoa 

 area. 



I have not had the opportunity to examine Barnard's (1950) 

 specimen(s) of C. padavensis, nor other specimens of this 

 species; however, De Man's (1888) very detailed description 

 points to several characters that would distinguish C. padavensis 

 from C. astathes in the absence of colour. These include longer 

 and more slender ocular peduncles; multispinose ocular acicles; 

 longer antennal acicles, which reach beyond the proximal 

 margins of the penultimate peduncular segments; longer and 

 more slender chelae; and subcylindrical propodi of the 

 ambulatory legs. 



Clibanarius astathes also bears a very strong resemblance to 

 C. longitarsus. Clibanarius astathes differs from the Durban Bay 

 population of C. longitarsus (12 males, 3 females, SL = 1.9-10.4 

 mm) that I have examined, in having: 1) fewer spines on the 

 ventrolateral distal margin of the antennular peduncle (one or 

 two, as opposed to three to six in C. longitarsus); 2) two strong 

 corneous-tipped spines on the dorsomesial margin of the carpus 

 of the left cheliped (only one was observed in numerous 

 specimens of C. longitarsus of varying sizes); 3) strongly 

 delineated dorsomesial propodal margin on the third pereopod 

 (rounded or very faintly ridged in C. longitarsus); 4) roundly 

 rectangular anterior lobe on the sternite of the third pereopods 

 (this lobe is subquadrate, and often with a central blister-like 

 protuberance in C. longitarsus). Other characters, such as the 

 rows of spines on the fixed finger of the left cheliped, the 

 armature of the ventral margins of the meri of the chelipeds, the 





Fig. 2 Clibanarius astathes (Stebbing, 1924), male paralectotype (6.9 mm). A, ieft cheliped; B, right cheliped. Scale equals 12 mm. 



