Based on new material from the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, the deep-sea scavenging genus Bathynomus is revised. Six species are redescribed: Bathynomus affinis Richardson, 1910 (range extended to the Arafura and Timor Seas), B. decemspinosus Shih, 1972, B. doederleini Ortman, 1894 (range extended to San Bernardino Strait, Philippine Islands), B. immanis Bruce, 1986 (range extended to Astrolabe Bay, Bismarck Sea), B. kapala Griffin, 1975 (range extended to off the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea) and B. pelor Bruce, 1986. Bathynomus propinquus Richardson, 1910 is considered to be a nomen dubium. Six new species are described: B. brucei n. sp. from off the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea; B. bruscai n. sp. from off the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and Astrolabe Bay, Bismarck Sea; B. crosnieri n. sp. from off Madagascar, western Indian Ocean; B. keablei n. sp. from off the Malabar Coast, Arabian Sea; B. kensleyi n. sp. from the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea and the Coral Sea; B. richeri n. sp. from off New Caledonia, plus Bathynomus sp. from the Gulf of Aden. Bathynomus giganteus A. Milne Edwards, 1879 is reported for the first time from the east coast of the United States. Two distinct groups occur in Bathynomus, a lineage of giant species which mature at about 150 mm length and a lineage of supergiant species which can grow to 500 mm in length. The greatest diversity of Bathynomus occurs between latitudes 20°N and 20°S on the Indian-Australian plate. Outlying species occur on plates in the western North Pacific and the western Atlantic. |
