First record of Gourretia denticulata ( Lutze , 1937 ) ( Crustacea , Decapoda , Thalassinidea ) from the Atlantic coast of Spain *

The family Callianasssidae is represented in Spanish waters by one genus: Callianassa, with four species: C. subterranea (Montagu, 1808), first cited by De Buen (1887); C. truncata Giard and Bonnier, 1890, by Zariquiey Alvarez (1950); C. candida (Olivi, 1792) (sin. C. pestae and C. pontica, see Lewinsohn and Holthuis, 1986) by García Raso (1983) and C. tyrrena (Petagna, 1792) by Zariquiey Alvarez (1946). The presence of another species, C. acanthura Caroli, 1946, was mentioned by Zariquiey Alvarez (1968) as probable on the Mediterranean coast. With the present study a new genus and species, Gourretia denticulata (Lutze, 1937), is added to the Spanish Decapoda check-list. This genus was included in the family Callianassidae by De Saint Laurent (1973) but recently Manning and Felder (1991) recognized a new family, Ctenochelidae, in which it is included. De Saint Laurent (1973) placed G. denticulata (Lutze, 1937) (as Callianassa minor) in a new genus, Gourretia, of which it was made the type species. This genus includes three species from the East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: G. denticulata, G. lahouensis Le Loeuff and Intès, 1974 and G. barracuda Le Loeuff and Intès, 1974, and one species from Australia: G. coolibah Poore and Griffin, 1979 (De Saint Laurent and Le Loeuff 1979; Manning and Felder, 1991). SCI. MAR., 62 (4): 393-395 SCIENTIA MARINA 1998

A discussion on the taxonomic position of the species and the correct spelling and name is given by Holthuis and Gottlieb (1958); de Saint Laurent (1973), de Saint Laurent and Le Loeuff (1979) and Lewinsohn and Holthuis (1986).
Morphological considerations: Le Loeuff and Intès (1974) found the species in the Gulf of Guinea (also quoted in de Saint Laurent and Boz ˇic ´, 1976), but later de Saint Laurent and Le Loeuff (1979) drew the attention to the fact that the small specimen (a juvenile) showed some anatomic differences and argued as to its correct taxonomic assignation.Our  specimen fits to the description of the Mediterranean specimens given by Holthuis and Gottlieb (1958) but for slight differences.The rostrum is longer in our specimen, whereas the cornea is apparently shorter, as it does not reach the distal part of the basal segment of antennular peduncle.These characters are similar to the Guinea specimen.However, analysis of the figures given by Gourret (1888), Holthuis and Gottlieb (1958), and de Saint Laurent and Boz ˇic ´ (1976) shows some variability in these characters.
The appendix interna and masculine of the second male pleopod, contrary to that mentioned previously, do not overreach the distal part of the endopod (fig.12f in Holthuis and Gottlieb, 1958;fig. 24c in de Saint Laurent and Le Loeuff, 1979); but, these differences may be due to intraspecific variability, since these structures usually change with size and age.
Distribution: the species is known from the Mediterranean waters: Gulf of Marseille, Adriatic Sea (Italy, Yugoslavia), Aegean Sea, Malta, Cyprus and Israel (see before quoted references, between others), between 2.5 m (S ˇtevc ˇic ´, 1990) and 146 m (Lewinsohn and Holthuis, 1986).The habitats from which the species has been reported are calcareous seaweed "melobesias" from coraligenous bottoms (Gourret, 1888) and muddy bottoms (S ˇtevc ˇic ´, 1990).In the Atlantic Ocean the only previous reference, and that is doubtful, is by Le Loeuff and Intès (1974) from the Gulf of Guinea (dredging at depth of 39 m).The present specimen, from shallow sandy bottoms with seaweed, constitutes the first record and confirms the presence of the species in the East Atlantic.
394 I. LÓPEZ DE LA ROSA et al.