Uroptychus nitidus ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 )

Kilgour, Morgan J. & Shirley, Thomas C., 2014, Reproductive biology of galatheoid and chirostyloid (Crustacea: Decapoda) squat lobsters from the Gulf of Mexico, Zootaxa 3754 (4), pp. 381-419 : 386

Uroptychus nitidus ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Uroptychus nitidus has previously been reported as Diptychus nitidus (see Baba et al. 2008). Specimens and types have been collected throughout the Caribbean and through the Straits of Florida ( Chace 1942; Pequegnat & Pequegnat 1970; Baba et al. 2008); specimens that were measured were from these water bodies from depths of 205 to 1488 m. Specimens of U. nitidus were collected in all months except February and October ( Fig. 3 D); ovigerous females were collected in every month except February, March, October, and December ( Fig. 3 D). Ovigerous females were significantly larger than non-ovigerous females (t-test, df = 138, t = 3.836, p<0.001). Ovigerous female CW ranged from 3.0 to 9.8 mm (73 measured); non-ovigerous female CW ranged from 1.3 to 9.1 mm (67 measured). Males and females were not significantly different in size (t-test, df = 285, t = 0.839 p = 0.402); male CW ranged from 2.1 to 9.1 mm (147 measured). Fecundity was significantly correlated with size, but is not a predictive indicator (R2 = 0.140, p = 0.003), and females had between one and 24 eggs. Carapace width was significantly correlated with egg diameter (R2 = 0.446, p <0.001); average egg size was between 0.90 mm and 2.12 mm, which is consistent with previously published egg sizes ( Milne-Edwards & Bouvier 1897).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Number of specimens of each species collected for each month. Gray bars are males, white bars are females, and black bars are ovigerous females.