178 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XX, April 1966 
DISCUSSION: Alpheus cloudi was described 
on the basis of a single ovigerous female from 
Saipan, lacking the small chela. The four 
specimens above appear to belong to this 
species. Also incorporated in this discussion 
are two specimens from Ifaluk in the Caroline 
Islands. All six specimens were paired, male 
and female; the pairs from Fiji are rather 
badly broken. 
First, in the shape of the rostral front, the 
specimen from Saipan had the anterior margin 
of the carapace proceeding in a gradual con- 
cave curve from the front of the orbital hoods 
to the tip of the undemarked rostrum; in the 
male from Ifaluk the shape is almost the same 
except that the area starts in front of the 
orbital hoods as a slight flattened projection. 
The female from Ifaluk has a marked projec- 
tion before the orbital hoods, but the frontal 
margin is almost straight, instead of projecting 
further, and the very slight rostrum is de- 
marked from this straight area. The specimens 
from Fiji strike a compromise between the 
two. All specimens have similar orbital hoods 
and a similar, rather marked, dorsal carinae 
before and between the eyes. 
In two specimens from Fiji the second 
antennular article is more elongate, 3-5 times 
as long as broad, instead of 2.5 times in the 
other specimens from Fiji and Ifaluk; more- 
over, in one male from Fiji, the tip of the 
scaphocerite reaches only slightly beyond the 
end of the second antennular article, but the 
matching female is like the other specimens. 
In the Ifaluk specimens there appears to be 
a strong sexual dimorphism in the large chela, 
with that of the female similar to the female 
from Saipan, but in the male of almost the 
same body length the chela is about 1.5 times 
the length and twice the thickness of that of 
the female, with the merus correspondingly 
more heavy. In one pair of specimens from 
Fiji there is not over 10% difference in size 
between the male and the female, with the 
male chela more like the female chela from 
Ifaluk and Saipan; in the other pair only the 
female bears large and small chelae. 
The small chela was lost in the Saipan 
specimen; in the five specimens where it is 
present it shows no sexual dimorphism except 
a slight difference in the relative size found 
in those of the Ifaluk specimens. In all speci- 
mens the fingers are about equal in length 
to the palm or slightly shorter, the movable 
finger is strongly curved, the fixed finger is 
flattened except on the upper edge where 
there is a sharp cutting ridge; on the lower 
margins of both fingers is a fringe of short, 
stiff bristles. The proximal portion of the palm 
has a slight but well defined shoulder. The 
distal portion of the inferior internal margin 
of the merus is either unarmed or bears a 
slight projection. 
The second and third legs are basically 
similar, but in the male from Fiji again the 
legs are relatively thinner. Both specimens from 
Ifaluk have a small accessory tooth on the 
dactylus similar to that found in the type 
specimen, but none of the Fijian specimens 
have more than a slight rounded protuberance 
where the tooth would be expected. 
Possibly, when additional specimens are 
found and examined, the specimen showing 
the characteristics of those from Fiji may be 
considered to be a separate subspecies, with 
slightly different rostral fronts and the lack 
of secondary unguis on the third legs; however, 
for the present it seems wiser to leave these 
obviously related forms in the same species 
and without subspecific separation. 
Alpheus paralcyone Coutiere 
Alpheus paralcyone Coutiere, 1905. Fauna 
and Geog. Maid, and Laccad. 2 (4): 895, 
pi. 80, 81, fig. 34. 
Crangon paralcyone Banner, 1953. Pacific 
Sci. 7(1): 99, fig. 34. 
LOCALITIES: Fiji: 2 specimens from BF 17. 
Samoa: 1 specimen from BBS 7. 
Alpheus clypeatus Coutiere 
Alpheus clypeatus Coutiere, 1905. Fauna and 
Geog. Maid, and Laccad. 2 (4): 897, pis. 
81, 82, fig. 36. 
LOCALITIES: Samoa: 1 specimen from BAS 
13; 6, BP 1; 2, BP 6. 
