Galathea hydrae Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia, 2015

Botha, Thomas P. A., Griffiths, Charles L., Atkinson, Lara J. & Macpherson, Enrique, 2025, The Galatheidae (Anomura: Galatheoidea) of South Africa, with a description of a new species, Zootaxa 5661 (3), pp. 330-350 : 333

Galathea hydrae Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia, 2015

Galathea hydrae Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia, 2015: 140 , fig. 48.

Material examined. South Africa, 29°50’03.98”S, 31°14’08.99”E, 135 m, 05/02/2021, SAMC-A094783 , 1 ♀ 3.8 mm .

Variation. Two pairs of epigastric spines present instead of three previously reported ( Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia 2015). Rostrum 1.4 times longer than broad, not 1.6. Antennal article 1 reaching distal margin of article 3 (not 2). P1 merus 2.8 times carpus length (not 3.5). P2 and P3 merus same length (not P3 0.9 length of P2).

Coloration. Unknown.

Global distribution. Mozambique and now South Africa; 101–152 m.

South African distribution. Off Umgeni River , KwaZulu-Natal, 135 m ( Fig. 6 ) .

Genetic data. Not available for South African specimens .

Remarks. Macpherson & Robainas-Barcia (2015) thought that G. dispersa reported from South Africa and adjacent waters were in fact G. hydrae , but they did not have access to any of the material. However, upon examination of the material identified as G. dispersa in the Natural History Collections of the Iziko South African Museum, it can be confirmed that these specimens are neither G. dispersa , nor G. hydrae , but represent a closelyrelated new species, described below as Galathea noboya sp. nov. (see under remarks of that species). However, the new record listed above does represent G. hydrae and signifies a small range extension into South Africa, being previously known only from Mozambique. In South African waters, G. hydrae is morphologically most similar to G. noboya sp. nov. (see differences under respective new species remarks).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Marine ecoregions in South African waters (Sink et al. 2019) with distribution of species in the genus Galathea superimposed.