Agononida marini ( Macpherson, 1994 )

Ahyong, Shane T. & Poore, Gary C. B., 2004, Deep-water Galatheidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from southern and eastern Australia, Zootaxa 472 (1), pp. 1-76 : 9-10

Agononida marini ( Macpherson, 1994)

Munida marini Macpherson, 1994: 492 , 495, figs. 30, 77 [type locality: New Caledonia].

Agononida marini . — Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1996: 442.

Material examined. QUEENSLAND: AM P42265, 10 males (27.8–37.7 mm), 10 females (30.3–34.6 mm), NE of Tweed Heads , 27º57’S, 154º03’E, 548 m, K78­23­09, 6 Nov 1978 ; AM P31424, 1 female (28.9 mm), NE of Tweed Heads , 27º57’S, 154º03’E, 548 m, K78­23­09, 6 Nov 1978 . NEW SOUTH WALES: AM P53252, 1 male (31.4 mm), 64– 80 km E of Sydney , 476 m, trawl, S. Leonard & S. Ahyong, 18–19 Feb 1997 ; AM P31510, 1 male (21.9 mm), NE of Long Reef , 33º41–39’S, 151º53–56’E, 485 m, K80­21­05, 16 Dec 1980 ; AM P42275, 1 male (16.7 mm), 1 female (21.2 mm), E of Long Reef , 33º40’S, 151º54’E, 485 m, K80­21­05, 16 Dec 1980; AM P66657, 1 male (27.6 mm) , 65 km E of Sydney , 457 m, S. Leonard, 16–17 Feb 1997 .

Remarks. The present series is morphologically uniform in most features, but spination of the anterior margin of the fourth abdominal tergite is variable. Forty­four percent of specimens bear four spines on the anterior margin of the fourth tergite, 36% bear only two submedian spines, and 20% bear three spines (two submedian and one lateral). The relative length of the dactyli of pereopods 2–4 varies allometrically ranging from slightly less than half the propodal length to slightly more than half the propodal length (pereopods 2– 3) or equal to half the propodal length (pereopod 4). The lateral spination of the fourth abdominal tergite is not presently used as a diagnostic character. The relative length of the dactyli of pereopods 2–4, however, are often treated as diagnostic, and present results indicate that it should be used with caution in distinguishing species.

Macpherson (1994: fig. 30C) incorrectly shows a spine on the outer instead of inner distal margin of the third segment of the antennal peduncle. The Australian specimens and holotype (reexamined at the MNHN) bear a spine on the inner distal margin of the third antennal peduncle segment.

Distribution. New Caledonia and now from eastern Australia between Sydney, New South Wales, and northeast of Tweed Heads, southern Queensland; 457– 548 m.