Tetraloides heterodactylus (Heller, 1861)

(Fig. 6D)

Tetralia heterodactyla Heller, 1861: 14 .

Tetraloides heterodactyla . — Galil 1986a: 174.— Galil & Clark 1988: 147, figs. 1D, 3D, 4D, I.— Castro 1997a: 71; 1997b: 115, pl. 1B; 1999a: 45; 1999b: 103; 2003: 443; 2009: 279; 2011: 79 (list).— Castro et al. 2004: 31 (list), 32.—Castro & Titelius 2008: 323.— Maenosono 2017: 45, fig. 10A, B, 11A (the Ryukyus).

Tetraloides heterodactylus . — Ng et al. 2008: 184 (list).— Limviriyakul et al. 2016: 4, fig. 4m (Taiwan Island).

Tetralia pubescens Klunzinger, 1913: 282 .

Tetralia heterodactyla f. cyanea Serène & Pham, 1957: 116, fig. 3A–C.

Tetralia heterodactyla fusca Serène & Dat, 1957: 116 .—Serène 1959: 153, figs. 5C, 6B; 1984: 283, pl. 42B; Dai et al. 1986; 361, pl. 52 (7).

Tetralia nigrifrons f. fusca Serène & Pham, 1957: 110, figs. 1A, B, 2, pls. 2 (1, 2), 3 (1, 2).

Material examined. Nansha Islands: Mischief Reef, 115°32.5’E 9°55.7’N, 11 m, coll. Shaobo Ma, Yuli Sun, Ziming Yuan, 5 May 2022, 1 male (8.39 × 7.64 mm), NS-MJJ-2022-1027; 1 female (8.56 × 7.68 mm), NS-MJJ-2022-1028, in Acropora gemmifera ( Acroporidae). Fiery Cross Reef, 113°0.8’E 9°39.9’N, 10 m, coll. Shaobo Ma, Yuli Sun, Ziming Yuan, 14 May 2022, 1 male (8.14 × 7.73 mm), 1 female (8.77 × 7.91 mm), NS-YS-2022-1284, in partially dead Acropora sp. ( Acroporidae) reef.

Geographical distribution. Across Indo-West Pacific region. Known from Johnston Atoll, not from the Hawaiian Is (Castro 2011).

Remarks. Tetraloides heterodactylus is not very common in the South China Sea. The elliptical patches on the upper surface of the walking legs can be either bright blue (Fig. 6D, NS-MJJ-2022-1027) or inconspicuous grayish blue.