Alpheid Shrimp, V- — Banner and Banner 
geographical races, but variation of the type that 
could be found within a single population. 
DISTRIBUTION: This species has been previ- 
ously reported from the Red Sea, Mozambique, 
Maidive Archipelago, Christmas Island (Indian 
Ocean ) . Indonesia, Great Barrier Reef, Mariana 
Archipelago, Marshall Islands, Wake Island, El- 
lice Islands, Samoa, Tuamotus, and the Mar- 
quesas. In the present collections specimens are 
from the Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, 
Phoenix Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Is- 
lands and Tahiti. 
Athanas parvus de Man 
Fig. 1 
Athanas parvus de Man, 1910*. Tijdschr. Ned. 
Dierk. Ver. II, 11(2): 315. [Additional de- 
scription and figures in Siboga Exped. 39a 1 
(2): 148, fig. 4a-d.] 
Athanas parvus de Man, Kubo, 1940 A Annot. 
Zool. Jap. 19(2): 99, figs. 1, 2. [Additional 
description.} 
Athanas sibogae de Man, 1910*. Tijdschr. Ned. 
Dierk. Yer. II, 11(2): 314. [Additional de- 
scription and figures in Siboga Exped. 39a 1 
(2): 151, fig. 6a-h.} 
DISCUSSION: Unfortunately, none of our 
eleven specimens are complete. The carapace 
and the intact appendages agree well with the 
published descriptions of Athanas parvus. There 
are the usual slight differences in proportions — 
for example, the merus of the third legs usually 
runs about 5 times as long as broad instead of 
7 bur these differences, like .those given by 
Kubo, appear to be of no taxonomic importance. 
One male only had a chela intact; it is not 
known whether this is the larger or smaller, or 
if they are of symmetrical development. How- 
ever, as the chela of the male has never been de- 
scribed, it is shown in Figure 1. In it the ischium 
is rather long and slender; the merus is 3.4 times 
as long as broad, excavate along the lower mar- 
gin to accommodate the chela when flexed; the 
carpus is short and not distally expanded; the 
palm is slender and tapering, 2.5 times as long 
as broad, without grooves or ridges; the dacty- 
lus has been broken, but the remaining portion 
of it and the fixed finger are quite straight and 
bear a series of low, conical teeth. Presumably 
141 
this is not the fully mature stage of the chela, 
and in this condition it resembles the chela de- 
scribed for A, jedanensis de Man. 
A. parvus was previously placed into the 
Nitescens group of the genus because the chela 
described for the female, which may be im- 
mature, were carried extended; this male shows 
that its rightful position is in the Dimorphus 
group. With this differentiating character re- 
moved only very slight differences can be found 
between this species and A. sibogae » There is a 
slight difference in the infracorneal tooth, the 
chelae appear to be different and the lower 
unguis of the dactylus of the third leg is heavier 
and make a greater angle to the dactylus in this 
species than it does in A. sibogae. With the 
great differences in other species, especially in 
A. areteformis, in the development of the orbital 
teeth, and with the growth and sex differences 
in the chela in this genus, the first two char- 
acteristics cannot be regarded as sufficient for 
specific separation; the difference in develop- 
ment of the dactyls is so slight that that too 
cannot be relied upon. The two species later may 
be found to be distinct, but with the present 
knowledge of inherent variation within this 
FIG. 1. Athanas parvus de Man. Chela of male from 
Samoa (BBS- 10); tip of dactylus lost in specimen. 
