Some very interesting deep-sea material was collected during the MUSORSTOM expeditions 1 (1976), 2 (1980) and 3 (1985) in the Philippine waters and the CORINDON 2 expedition (1980) in the Strait of Makassar. We first describe the numerous species brought back, both uncommon and new. This account is not intended to be a taxonomic revision of the Indo- Pacific species, which may belong either to the genus Trichopeltarion A. Milne Edwards, 1880, or to the genus Trachycarcinus Faxon, 1893. Both of these genera are attributed to the superfamily Corystoidea Samouelle, 1819, the revision of which is in progress. With Trachy car cinus and Trichopeltarion, the monospecific genus Pteropeltarion Dell, 1972, from New Zealand, forms a natural group alsqo with the genus Podocatactes Ortmann, 1893, endemic to Japan, and with the American genus Peltarion Jacquinot, 1847. We can only say here that they belong to the Heterotremata Guinot, 1977. One problem was encountered, because the criteria used to separate the two Indo- Pacific genera Trachycarcinus and Trichopeltarion are morphotypal; the fact that the type-species of these genera originated from American water complicates matters. All the species reported here are attributed to the genus Trachycarcinus alone, without anticipating on a future study of the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic status of the above-mentioned genera. Two species are discovered for the second time: Trachycarcinus alcocki (Doflein) and T. ovalis (Anderson). All the others are new: Trachycarcinus aff. ovalis, from the Philippines, which is only represented by a female ; T. moosai sp. nov. and T. foresti sp. nov., from the Philippines, and a close species, provisionally named Trachycarcinus aff. delli. |
