Discussion

Two species of Congericola have previously been described. In C. gracilis (Milne-Edwards, 1840, p. 496, pl. 41, fig. 1), as shown in ventral view by Heller (1868, pl. 22, fig 6a), the fourth pereiopods are subequal in size to the first three, whereas in C. pallidus van Beneden (1854, p. 583, pl. opp. p. 589) the fourth pereiopods are significantly larger than the first three.

Wilson in his key to these species (1922, p. 58) also uses the width of the freely articulated segments as compared to the width of the head. Descriptions by other authors, and the discussion by Willey (1958, p. 370) make it clear that these animals have considerable contractile powers, hence body proportions are not useful in their taxonomy.

Apart from the original drawings by van Beneden, which are not particularly detailed, no full description of C. pallidus has ever been given. However, the present specimens are, in my opinion, sufficiently close to van Beneden's description and figures to allow them to be ascribed to his species.

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This is the first record of this species in the Pacific and only the second outside the Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean area.

Previous records include:

Northeast atlantic—on Conger vulgaris: Irish Sea and Llanddwyn Is., Caernarvon Bay (Scott, 1929, p. 100); Lancashire Coast (Scott and Scott, 1913, p. 124); Bay of Nigg (Scott, 1901, p. 127); Firth of Clyde (Scott, 1900, p. 160); Aberdeen (Scott and Scott, 1913, p. 124); Belgium (van Beneden, 1854, p. 583).

on Conger conger: Mauritania (Brian, 1924, p. 400).

Mediterranean—on Conger vulgaris: (Richiardi, 1880, p. 150); Banyuls-sur-Mer (Delamare Deboutteville and Nunes-Ruivo, 1958, p. 226); Liguria (Brian, 1906, p. 76); Adriatic (Valle, 1884, p. 2).

Northwest atlantic—on Conger vulgaris: Woods Hole, Mass. (Willey, 1958, p. 370).

The occurrence of this species in New Zealand waters suggests that its distribution must be much more widespread than the above list would indicate.