Munida flinti Benedict, 1902

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 : 395

Munida flinti Benedict, 1902

Munida flinti has also been reported as Munida stimpsoni (see Baba et al. 2008). Its previously reported range is from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 11 to 641 m ( Milne-Edwards 1880; Henderson 1888; de Melo- Filho & de Melo 2001b). Fifty males, 23 non-ovigerous females, and 47 ovigerous females were measured from a total of 183 specimens. Male CWs ranged from 3.6 to 13.2 mm, that of non-ovigerous females ranged from 3.6 to 12.1 mm, and CW of ovigerous females varied between 3.5 mm and 12.7 mm; females were significantly larger than males (t-test, df = 118, t = 4.341, p<0.001). Ovigerous females were collected in March, May through August, and October ( Fig. 8 F) and were significantly larger than non-ovigerous females (t-test, df = 68, t = -2.097, p = 0.040). Fecundity was significantly correlated with size (R2 = 0.598, p<0.001) as was average egg diameter (R2 = 0.282, p<0.001) ( Fig. 4 C). Females had between 55 and 3086 eggs, and the average egg diameter ranged from 0.33 to 0.47 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Linear regression of carapace width and the number of eggs for Gastroptychus spinifer (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) (A), Eumunida picta Smith, 1883 (B), Munida flinti Benedict, 1902 (C), Munida forceps A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (D), Munida miles A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (E), and Munida pusilla Benedict, 1902 (F). Black dashed lines are the 95 % confidence interval. Dotted lines are 95 % prediction intervals.

FIGURE 8. Number of specimens of each species collected for each month. Gray bars are males, white bars are females, and black bars are ovigerous females.