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Reef lobsters Enoplometopus A. Milne Edwards, 1862 from French Polynesia, with a brief revision of the genus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Enoplometopidae)

Joseph POUPIN

en Zoosystema 25 (4) - Pages 643-664

Published on 26 December 2003

Three reef lobsters of the genus Enoplometopus A. Milne Edwards, 1862 are recorded around the French Polynesian islands at depths of 80-300 m: E. crosnieri Chan & Yu, 1998, E. gracilipes de Saint Laurent, 1988 and E. holthuisi Gordon, 1968. A complete description and illustrations are provided for the first time for E. gracilipes. Four other species, deposited in the collections of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, have also been re-examined: E. antillensis Lütken, 1865, E. occidentalis (Randall, 1840), E. callistus Intès & Le Loeuff, 1970, and E. debelius Holthuis, 1983. A brief revision of the genus is proposed. The subgenera Enoplometopus A. Milne Edwards, 1862 and Hoplometopus Holthuis, 1983 are not considered as valid taxa. An updated key to the 11 species of the genus is proposed based on the position of spines on the carapace, aspect of the chela (narrow or wide), aspect of upper and lower faces of palm, position (or absence) of spines on outer margin of dactyl of chela, aspect of abdominal pleura, presence or absence of spines on posterior margin of sixth abdominal tergite, position of spines on telson and coloration.


Keywords:

Crustacea, Decapoda, Enoplometopidae, Enoplometopus, lobster, reef, French Polynesia.

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