This is the final work in a trilogy of papers and concludes the revision of the genus Metapenaeopsis which commenced in 1987. The present study refers to those species of Metapenaeopsis with stridulating organs. As with the preceding papers, this study is primarily based on numerous specimens collected by ORSTOM scientists working in the Indo-West-Pacific. Further collections were made in the Philippines, Indonesia and New Caledonia as part of the MUSORSTOM programme, a joint project established between ORSTOM and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. This material was supplemented by specimens from "Albatross" stations, principally from the Philippines, generously made available by the National Museum of Natural History, Washington. Numerous requests were also made to those institutions holding material cited in publications. Of the species previously described, 14 are considered valid : M. acclivis (Rathbun, 1902), M. aegyptia Galil & Golani, 1990, M. barbata (de Haan, 1844), M. crassissima Racek & Dall, 1965, M. dura Kubo, 1949, M.fusca R. J. G. Manning, 1988, M. lindae R. J . G. Manning, 1988, M. novaeguineae (Haswell, 1879), M. palmensis (Haswell, 1879), M. rosea Racek & Dall, 1965, M. sinica Liu & Zhong, 1988, M. sinuosa Dall, 1957, M. stridulans (Alcock, 1905), and M. toloensis Hall, 1962. The synonymies of M. akayebi (Rathbun, 1902) with M. barbata and of M. barbeensis Hall, 1962, with M. palmensis are confirmed. The validity of M. tchekunovae Starobogatov, 1972, remains uncertain. One new species, M. parapalmensis, is described. Thus 15 valid species are studied here, of which one is new. The aim of this work has been to clarify the taxonomy of the group and, it is hoped, to give a clear idea of the different species. It has been shown that confusions between species have actually been very common in the past. Two identification keys, one for females and another for males, are provided. The keys are supplemented by 192 illustrations arranged in 45 figures. The morphology of the genitalia is highly complex and for this reason these organs are drawn in various aspects. Two synoptic tables are given showing the bathymétrie and geographical distribution of species. Australia is particularly rich in species, in contrast to the Indian Ocean, which is poor, and Polynesia and Hawaii which are completely devoid of Metapenaeopsis species with stridulating organs. The characters used in both keys are easy to use, but lead to artificial assemblages which do not reflect the natural groups of species. Metapenaeopsis species with stridulating organs seem to be divided into three natural groups, one originating from Japan and migrating southwards, a second originating from the Philippines and Indonesia and dispersing in all directions, and a third, endemic to Australia where members of the other two groups are also found. Some distributions, however, remain difficult to explain. Now that the revision of Metapenaeopsis is completed, 71 species and subspecies have been recognized: 46 species from the Indo-West Pacific; 4 from the East Pacific; 5 from the West Atlantic; and 1 from the East Atlantic. |
