Decapoda - Brachyura - Epialtidae - Menaethius

Menaethius monoceros (Latreille, 1825)



World Distribution
Sakai (2004 - CD), MASDEA/AfReMas (BD Internet) - Indo-ouest Pacifique. Afrique orientale, Madagascar, Seychelles, Réunion, Maurice à Japon, Hawaii, Polynésie française. Méditerranée. Comprend Mayotte premier signalement.

Environnement : Marine - Substrat/Association : Associated with algae

Vertical range : Shallow-waters (0-100 m) - Min-Max observed: 0-30 m

Mayotte data
Menaethius monoceros (Latreille, 1825)
Material examined — Mayotte KUW 2009, st. 6, "déversoir Badamiers", Petite Terre, 1-3 m, 2 MM 25 x 15,2 and 24.6 x 14.2 mm, photo, MNHN B32546, MNHN-IU-2009-1306, 1 F 12 (rostrum broken) x 7.6 mm, photo, MNHN B32545, MNHN-IU-2009-1305.
Remarks — Griffin & Tranter (1986) have indicated that species of the genera Menaethius and Huenia are morphologically very close. Specimens of Menaethius monoceros examined herein are indeed very close to specimens of Huenia grandidieri also collected in Mayotte. They have been recognized by examination of the male pleopod, as figured by Forest & Guinot (1961: 14, fig. 9a, b), ventral margin of P2 propodus with distal tuff of setae without tubercule (tubercule present in Huenia), lobulated branchial lateral margin of the carapace (more straight in Huenia), and shape of carapace being similar in both sexes. From field photographs taken in Mayotte (courtesy M. Deuss, presented in Legall & Poupin, 2018) it seems that live coloration of M. monoceros is brown and that the species lives freely on the ground overlapped with camouflage algae while H. grandidieri live coloration is bright green and the species is strictly infeodated to green algae of the genus Halimeda.
Geographic and depth ranges — IWP, Red Sea, Mayotte (this work), South Africa to Hawaii, French Polynesia; Intertidal, shallow subtidal to 83 m.

Europa data
Menaethius monoceros. - Europa, BIOTAS collections, specimen MEPA-00022, pre-det. J. Poupin from photo, st EURO-1. - Mission BIORECIE, st. 8, 1 female juvenile, 6.4(without rostrum)x5.1 mm (MNHN), 9 novembre 2011, . Premier signalement.

Réunion data
Menaethius rugosus A. Milne-Edwards, 1862, annexe F : 2, pl. xvii, fig. 2a (Réunion, coll. Maillard). - Menaethius monoceros - A. Milne-Edwards, 1862, annexe F : 6 (Réunion, coll. Maillard). - Peyrot-Clausade, 1977 : annexe, p. 25 (Réunion). - Ng et al., 2008 : 101 (Synonymie). - Photo P. Frouin, reçue Juin 2009 (suite mission Poupin, avril 2008). - Coll. BIOLAVE, 25/11/2011, shallow-waters, divers 10-30 m, det. J. Poupin 25/01/2013, F 9.5x5 mm.

New Caledonia data
Nouvelle Caledonie, STATION — Edwards AM, Nouv Arch MNHN 8: 229-267

Central Pacific data (Wallis & Futuna, Polynesia, Clipperton, Easter Island)
WALLIS & FUTUNA - Menaethius monoceros - Poupin & Juncker, in preparation. - FRENCH POLYNESIA - Menaethius tuberculatus Dana, 1852b: 123; 1855, pl. 5, fig. 1a-c (Tuamotu). - Menaethius monoceros - Nobili, 1907: 382 ("Ohura" = Hao). - Rathbun, 1907: 64 (Fakarava). - Holthuis, 1953: 4 (Raroia). - Forest & Guinot, 1961: 14, fig. 9a-b (Tahiti; Syn.); 1962: 56 (Biogeography "Tahiti-Tuamotu, Marquesas"). - Peyrot-Clausade, 1977a, annex of the species: 25 (Moorea); 1977b: 212; 1989: 112, 115 (Moorea, Tikehau; 30m). - Odinetz, 1983: 208 (Moorea, Tahiti, Takapoto). - Guinot, 1985: 452 (List). - Odinetz-Collart & Richer de Forges, 1985: 201 (Moorea and/or Tahiti, Takapoto). - Poupin, 1996a: 27 (Checklist) - New material, MNHN - Coll. P. Frouin, det. J. Poupin (Tahiti). - Unpublished sp., coll. & det. G. Paulay, Tikehau, July 10, 2001, Outer end of Passe Tuheiava and adjacent outer reef slope on W. side of atoll (FLMNH-UF ?1641). - Unpublished sp. - Austral, Rapa Island, Haurei bay, coll. BENTHAUS Expedition (Warén), November 8, 2002, prov. det. J. Poupin November 25, 2003 (4 sp. in MNHN); Moorea fieldwork December 2006, coll. Poupin (Papetoai lagoon, 0.1 m, fringing reef, coral rubbles), det. Poupin, specimens (MNHN) and color photograph. - Moorea Biocode project. - AAMP, Marquesas, 2012, Leg 2, coll. Evans, sample 0510, St 35, Tahuata, 15 m (with Huenia brevifrons, ?heraldica); Leg 3, St. MQ27-B, Hatu Iti, 5-22 m, coll. Albenga et al., sample LC342. - Salvat & Bacchet, 2011: 246, photo, field guide 'Au Vent des Iles Ed. Tahiti - French Polynesia, most often Society (Moorea, Tahiti). - Mission CRIOBE 2014 (Moorea).

References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)

This species in Worms Database