Paramunida pronoe Macpherson, 1993

Cabezas, P. E., 2010, Taxonomic revision of the genus Paramunida Baba, 1988 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Galatheidae): a morphological and molecular approach, Zootaxa 2712, pp. 1-60 : 39-40

Paramunida pronoe Macpherson, 1993

( Figs. 14H, 18A)

Paramunida pronoe Macpherson, 1993: 458 , fig. 6 ( New Caledonia, 500–510 m). — Macpherson 2004: 289 ( Tonga, 439–497 m). — Baba 2005: 303 (key, synonymies). — Baba et al. 2008: 173 (list of occurrences).

Material examined. New Caledonia. MUSORSTOM 4. Stn 238, 22º13.0’S, 167º14.0’E, 02 October 1985, 500– 510 m: F 7.0 mm (holotype, MNHN-Ga3410), 1 M 7.8 mm, 1 ov. F 11.0 mm, 4 F 6.1–11.5 mm (MNHN- Ga3411). BATHUS 3. Stn CP 833, 23°02.75'S, 166°58.23'E, 30 November 1993, 441– 444 m: 1 F 4.9 mm .

Diagnosis. Rostrum triangular, larger than supraocular spines, with thin dorsal carina; margin between rostral and supraocular spines straight or slightly concave. Few spinules on gastric and hepatic regions, arising from striae. Mesogastric region with 1 small median spine. Cardiac region with 1 median well-developed median spine. Few and short setae along anterior branch of cervical groove. Sternal plastron with numerous striae on sternites 4–7. Lateral margin of antennular segment 1 with distal slender portion about half as long as proximal inflated portion. Antennal peduncle with anterior prolongation of segment 1 spiniform; segment 2 1.1–1.3 times longer than broad, distomesial spine spiniform, slightly overreaching end of segment 3, distolateral spine nearly reaching end of segment 3; segment 3 1.2–1.4 times as long as broad. Base of P1 carpus without bundle of setae. P2 propodus about 8 times as long as wide, and 1.5 times dactylus length.

Remarks. Paramunida pronoe belongs to the group of species with the rostral spine longer than the supraocular spines and only one distinct spine on the mesogastric region. The species is easily differentiated from the other species of the group having only one instead of 3 or 4 spines on the median cardiac region.

Genetically the divergences between P. pronoe and other species were always larger than 5% (16S rRNA) and 10% (ND1).

Distribution. New Caledonia and Tonga, between 439 and 510 m.