Decapoda - Brachyura - Inachoididae - Esopus

Esopus crassus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875


World Distribution
Chace (1940) - Cuba, 180-220 fathoms (329-403 m). A. Milne-Edwards (1881: 90) - Lesser Antilles (Barbados, 100 brasses = 183 m).

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

Vertical range : Deep (more than 100 m) - Min-Max observed: 183-403 m

Lesser Antilles data
Distribution (Chace, 1940): WA. North coast of Cuba. Lesser Antilles, ICA (Guadeloupe, Barbados). 183-403 m.
Esopus crassus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875: 90, pl. 17, fig. 1, Barbados [R/V Hassler; '… un seul exemplaire dragué par l'expédition du Hassler, au voisinage des Barbades, à 100 brasses de profondeur]. - A. Milne-Edwards, 1880a: 2, Barbados [R/V Hassler, 100 brasses]. - A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1923: 389, Barbados [R/V Hassler, 100 brasses]. - Rathbun, 1925: 192, pl. 222, fig. 10-12, Barbados [R/V Hassler; known from unique type]. - Poupin & Corbari, 2016: in press, Guadeloupe (first record), Karubenthos II 2015, field det. J. Poupin, st. CP4569, 17 June 2015, 16°17.25'N, 60°59.78'W, 359-250 m, MNHN-IU-2013-18951; st. DW4586, 21 June 2015, 15°59.62'N, 61°22.51'W, 251-204 m, MNHN-IU-2013-19002; st. DW4638, 28 June 2015, 15°50.29'N, 61°19.47'W, 312-305 m, MNHN-IU-2013-19150.
Comment: this seems to be the second record of this species since its description from Barbados (100 fathoms). It was later reported north of Cuba by Chace (1940) between 180-220 fathoms (329-403 m). There are good figures of this crab in A. Milne-Edwards (1875, pl. 17, fig. 1).

Guinot & Van Bakel (2020, Zootaxa): 109 - Material examined. One ovigerous female 11.0 × 6.7 mm, Guadeloupe, W Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. DW4586, 15°59.62’N, 61°22.51’W, 251–204 m, 21 June 2015, with some large eggs remaining from a recent egg-laying, MNHN-IU-2013-19002 (Figs. 2, 3); one male 9.1 × 5.5 mm, Guadeloupe, W Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, stn DW4592, 15°58’N, 61°22’W, 201–214 m, 22 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-2530; one male 9.1 × 5.4 mm, one female 11.3 × 6.9 mm, Guadeloupe, W Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, stn DW4597, 15°56’N, 61°23’W, 208–210 m, 22 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-2350; 2 ovigerous females 10.5 × 6.2 mm, 10.7 × 6,4 mm, Guadeloupe, S Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. DW4637, 16°52’N, 61°20’W, 217-225 m, 28 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-2562; 3 ovigerous females 10.7 × 6.6 mm, 10.7 × 6.4 mm, 10.4 × 6.3 mm, one female 10.5 × 6.3 mm, Guadeloupe, S Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. DW4638, 15°50.29’N, 61°19.47’W, 312–305 m, 28 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2013-19150; one male 10.8 × 6.9 mm (photographed Fig. 4), MNHN-IU-2019-2552; 2 males 10.5 × 6.4 mm, 10.4 × 6.6 mm, 6 females (3 ovigerous), 12.2 × 7.9 mm, 12.1 × 7.4 mm, 12.0 × 7,4 mm, 11.8 × 7.0 mm, 11.5 × 6,9 mm, 10.9 × 6.6 mm, Guadeloupe, S Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. CP4624, 15°57’N, 61°32’W, 242–243 m, 26 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-8345; one female 10.5 × 6.3 mm, MNHN-IU-2016-2571; one female 11.1 × 6.6 mm, Guadeloupe, S Marie-Galante, KARUBENTHOS 2, stn DW4645, 15°52’N, 61°20’W, 208–210 m, 29 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-2631; one female 8.9 × 5.4 mm, Guadeloupe, E Desirade, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. DW4560, 16°25’N, 60°52’W, 185–250 m, 16 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2016-2061; one ovigerous female 11.1 × 6.8 mm, Guadeloupe, E Desirade, KARUBENTHOS 2, st. CP4569, 16°17.25’N, 61°01’W, 250–359 m, 17 June 2015, MNHN-IU-2013-18951 (Fig. 1, crab photographed on board).

Comment(s) on data
See Guinot & Van Bakel (2020, Zootaxa) for family and subfamily rank of this species "The genus Esopus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875, currently included in the Epialtidae MacLeay, 1838, must be assigned to the Inachoididae Dana, 1851, a rather basal family within the Majoidea Samouelle, 1819, but deviates from the morphotype that is being traditionally associated to this group. It deserves its own subfamily, Esopinae subfam. nov."

References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)

This species in Worms Database