Munida speciosa

De Matos-Pita, Susana S. & Ramil, Fran, 2014, Squat lobsters (Crustacea: Anomura) from Mauritanian waters (West Africa), with the description of a new species of Munidopsis, Zootaxa 3765 (5), pp. 418-434 : 421

Munida speciosa von Martens, 1878

Munida speciosa von Martens, 1878: 133.—Baba et al. 2008: 122 (compilation).— Muñoz et al. 2012: 482 ( Guinea-Bissau, 75–809 m).

Material examined. MAURIT 1107, Stn L14, 502– 511 m, 1 male 16.6 mm, 3 females 13.3–19.2 mm; Stn L51, 464– 468 m, 1 male 13.4 mm, 1 female 16.2 mm; Stn L79, 554– 576 m, 5 males 14.8–22.4 mm, 1 female 15.2 mm. MAURIT 0 811, Stn L07, 91–103 m, 6 males 12.4–19.6 mm, 3 females 14.8–16.7 mm, 2 ovigerous females 15.6– 16.9 mm; Stn L09, 94–120 m, 1 male 17.8 mm, 1 ovigerous female 17.1 mm; Stn L41, 105– 109 m, 3 males 12.5– 16.2 mm, 1 female 11.2, 1 ovigerous female 11.9 mm; Stn L49, 218- 404 m, 2 males 17.6–18.1 mm, 1 female 16.2 mm; Stn L52, 102– 104 m, 5 ovigerous females, 9.3–10.7 mm. MAURIT 0 911, Stn L01, 303–304 m, 3 males 12.1– 17.1 mm, 1 female 12.8 mm. MAURIT 1011, Stn L05, 106–108 m, 2 males 17.0– 18.7 mm, 2 ovigerous females 13.3–14.6 mm; Stn L09, 257–271 m, 1 male 22.7 mm, 1 ovigerous female 20.9 mm; Stn L56, 106– 137 m, 7 males 10.9–18.6 mm, 3 females 10.2–11.5 mm, 1 ovigerous female 15.4 mm.

Remarks. Our specimens agree well with the detailed description of this species given in Miyake & Baba (1970).

The dorsal series of tubercles on the abdominal tergite 3 and maxilliped 3 merus spinulation ensures the identification of this material as M. speciosa separating it, at the same time, from the allied Munida rutllanti Zariquiey Álvarez, 1952 not represented in our collection but reported in previous works from Mauritanian waters. In our opinion, the similarity of both species and potential misidentifications make it difficult to provide a clear picture of the distribution of each species in northwest Africa.

Distribution. Senegal to north of Namibia, in depths from 108 to 809 m (Baba et al. 2008; Muñoz et al. 2012). Our records increase the northern distribution to Mauritania.