Decapoda - Brachyura - Xanthidae - Xanthias

Xanthias cherbonnieri Guinot, 1964



World Distribution
Serène (1984 : 197), Sakai (2004 - CD) - Océan Indien. Réunion, Seychelles (Aldabra), Japon. Comprend Mayotte premier signalement.

Environnement : Marine - Substrat/Association : Hard bottom (rock and rubbles)

Vertical range : Shallow-waters (0-100 m) - Min-Max observed: 0-20 m

Mayotte data
Xanthias cherbonnieri Guinot, 1964
Material examined — Mayotte KUW 2009, st. 20b, Islet M'tzamboro, western reef flat, 10-15 m, 1 M 4.4 x 6.7 mm, MNHN-IU-2009-2629, 1 F 3.3 x 5.2 mm, MNHN-IU-2009-2631 det. September 2011; st. 25 Ilot M'tzamboro, south, 15-20 m, 1 M 3.05 x 4.67 mm, MNHN-IU-2009-2628, det. Poupin July 2011; st. 30, Rani Reef, double barrier, 3-15 m (with hesitation, see Remarks), 1 F 5.5 x 8.8 mm, MNHN-IU-2009-2630, det. Octobre 2011.
Remarks — This small species is characterized by a network of yellow lines on the carapace. Guinot (1964, pl. II, fig. 1-4) has given good drawings illustrating this pattern. Serène (1984) has indicated that the specimens collected at Réunion Island (20 m) were associated with a coral Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767). This species is rarely collected, probably because of its small size but it has a wide IWP distribution being reported from Japan. Mendoza et al. (2014) have reported X. charbonnieri from Christmas Island but according to the photograph illustrating the color pattern (Fig. 4E) this is probably a distinct species. In Mayottte collection 1 F 5.5 x 8.8 mm, MNHN-IU-2009-2630 at st. 30 is different and attributed with hesitation to X. ?cherbonnieri. The aspect of the carapace is overall similar by the following differences are observed: a) much larger size; b) absence of reticulated pattern of yellow lines on carapace; c) presence of long fringes of setae on upper margins of meri of ambulatory legs (absent in C. cherbonnieri); d) both chelae of similar small size (one chelae is larger than the other in X. cherbonnieri).
Geographic and depth ranges — IWP, Seychelles (Aldabra), Mayotte (this work), Réunion to Japan; subtidal to 20 m.

Réunion data
Xanthias cherbonnieri - Ribes, 1978 : 127 (Réunion). - Serène, 1984 : 196 (Réunion dans le matériel examiné, coll. S. Ribes, La Saline, pente externe 20 m, sur Galaxea fascicularis, MNHN B6653).

References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)

This species in Worms Database