Munidopsis kensleyi, Ahyong & Poore, 2004

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 : 50-54

Munidopsis kensleyi n. sp. ( Figs. 10 , 11A )

Munidopsis dasypus . — Kensley, 1977: 176, fig. 10. — Baba & Poore, 2002: 233–235, fig. 2 [not M. dasypus Alcock, 1894 ].

Type material. HOLOTYPE: AM P26780, male (22.5 mm), E of Broken Bay , 33º34– 31’S, 152º02–04’E, 905–914 m, K77­23­07, 6 Dec 1977 . PARATYPES: AM P26781, 1 female (22.0 mm), E of Broken Bay , 33º34–31’S, 152º02–04’E, 905–914 m, K77­23­07, 6 Dec 1977 ; AM P31544, 1 female (22.1 mm), E of Shoalhaven Bight , 34º54’S, 151º13’E, 810 m, K78­27­05, 12 Dec 1978 ; AM P26786, 1 female (20.0 mm), E of Broken Bay , 33º34–31’S, 152º02–04’E, 905–914 m, K77­23­07, 6 Dec 1977 ; AM P64987, 1 male (25.2 mm), E of Tuncurry , 32º05’S, 153º09’E, K88­12­01, 21 Jun 1988 ; AM P62706, 1 male (24.0 mm), E of Broken Bay , 33°403’S, 152°04’E, 1108–1115 m, K85­21­05, 19 Dec 1985 ; AM P61816, 4 males (18.7–24.5 mm), 3 females (21.9–23.1 mm), E of Norah Head , 33°26’S, 152°06’E, K80­20­06, 476 m, 9 Dec 1980 ; AM P67047, 1 male (17.1 mm), off Newcastle, 1150– 951 m , NZOI Tangaroa stn U223, 10 Oct 1982 ; AM P67048, 1 ovigerous female (26.0 mm), off Ulladulla , 1060­1109 m, K83­14­02, 25 Oct 1983 ; NMV J17063 , 1 female (24.6 mm), off Nowra , 35º0’S, 151º16.30’E, 1100 m, 5 m otter trawl , SLOPE 9 , M. Gomon , 15 Jul 1986 .

Comparative specimens of M. sigsbei (A. Milne­Edwards, 1880) . USNM 150602 , 1 male (19.5 mm), 2 females (15.5–20.7 mm), Straits of Florida , 23°51’N, 081°02’W, 1107– 1162 m, trawl, 16 Sep 1964 ; USNM 1001582 , 3 males (16.8–20.3 mm), 2 females (18.9– 19.7 mm), SW of Panama City, Florida , 28°29’58”N, 086°58’09”W, 783–841 m, NGO­ MCS E3A, 13 May 1985 ; USNM 1001171 , 4 males (16.5–22.2 mm), 4 females (10.3–21.0 mm), SW of Grand Island, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico , 27°19’37”N, 091°31’21”W, 1170– 1237 m, 13 Jun 1985 .

Comparative specimens of M. dasypus Alcock, 1894 . AM P67046, 1 female (29.0 mm), Exmouth Plateau , 20º16.5–17.8’S, 113º13.5–12.3’E, 913–914 m , RV Southern Surveyor , J. Paxton, 23 Jan 1991 ; AM P2665 , 1 ovigerous female (24.3 mm), off Andaman Islands , 878–911 m , RIMSS Investigator (ex Indian Museum no. 134/7).

Diagnosis. Carapace without dorsal spines except for transverse row of 2–5 spines along posterior margin. Frontal margins slightly oblique, with strong anterolateral spine; lateral margins unarmed, subparallel. Rostrum slender; shorter than remaining carapace length; unarmed laterally. Abdominal tergites unarmed; second to fourth tergites with elevated ridge followed by transverse groove. Sixth tergite with posterior margin not strongly produced. Telson composed of 9 plates. Eyestalk unarmed. Cheliped only with epipod. Cheliped elongate; propodus unarmed, margin of palm about as long as dactylus.

Description. Carapace: Strongly convex; covered with short, fine setae and fine pits; cervical groove distinct; without dorsal spines except for transverse row of 2–5 spines along posterior margin. Frontal margins slightly oblique, with strong anterolateral spine; lateral margins unarmed, subparallel, slightly wider anteriorly; with slight constriction behind anterolateral spine. Rostrum slender, slightly deflected dorsally, apex acute; shorter than remaining carapace length; moderately carinate dorsally; lateral margin slightly irregular but straight. Pterygostomian flap with blunt, angular anterior margin, without anterior spine; lateral surface with shallow striae.

Sternum: Third sternite bilobed, separated by notch, about one­third width of sternite 4; each lobe trianguloid with lateral margin angular. Remaining sternites smooth, unarmed; ridges demarcating fourth to seventh sternites feebly granular.

Abdomen: Tergites with short, fine, scattered setae. Second to fourth tergites unarmed; with elevated ridge followed by transverse groove. Sixth tergite with posterior margin not strongly produced. Telson composed of 9 plates; lateral margin with coarse, relatively stiff setae in males, soft in females. Uropodal endopod with unarmed lateral margins.

Eye: Ocular peduncle unarmed, sparsely setose, basally widened; movable; cornea subglobular, slightly wider than and almost twice as long as peduncle; with small tooth between eye and antennal peduncle.

Antennule: Basal segment with distolateral and shorter distodorsal spine; lateral margin swollen.

Antenna: Basal segment of peduncle unarmed. Second segment with lateral distal spine. Third segment unarmed.

Maxilliped 3: Dactylus, propodus and carpus unarmed. Merus with slender distal extensor spine; flexor margin with large, broad proximal spine and small median spine.

Epipods: Pereopod 1 with epipod. Pereopods 2–4 without epipod.

Pereopod 1 (cheliped): Elongate, 2.0–2.5 times carapace length; setose and rugose; subcylindrical. Propodus unarmed; palm about 2 times as long as high in adult males and 3 times as long as high in females; dorsal margin of palm about as long as dactylus. Pollex and dactylus with gape in adult males; without gape in females; distally ‘hollowed’on internal margin. Carpus with dorsal and ventral spines distally. Merus with distal spines and 2 rows of 1–3 spines on lateral and dorsal surfaces.

Pereopod 2–4: Setose; subcylindrical. Merus extensor margin with 1–4 spines and strong distal spines. Carpus flexor margin with 1 or 2 distal spines and low lateral carina. Propodus with 2 or 3 movable spines on distal flexor margin, distal most paired; unarmed dorsally. Dactylus flexor margin with 5–7 stout teeth, each bearing slender movable spines.

Colour in life. Pinkish­orange.

Etymology. Named in honour of the late Brian Kensley, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, who first reported the species under the name Munidopsis dasypus .

Remarks. Munidopsis kensleyi n. sp. resembles Ms. sigsbei from the Western Atlantic in almost all respects. Differences between the two species are subtle and most obvious when specimens are directly compared: the relative breadths of the carapace, rostrum and antennal peduncle of Ms. kensleyi are slightly greater than in Ms. sigsbei ( Figs. 10A , 11D ). Similarly, the chelae in Ms. kensleyi are distinctly more robust than in size­ and sexmatched Ms. sigsbei ( Figs. 10D , 11A–C ). In addition, the outer margin of the basal antennular segment is less swollen and the dactylar teeth of the walking legs are relatively shorter in Ms. kensleyi than in Ms. sigsbei ( Figs. 10B, H , 11E, F ). The best character distinguishing Ms. kensleyi from Ms. sigsbei , however, is the relative length of the dactylus of the chela, being about equal to instead of distinctly longer than the dorsal length of the palm ( Figs. 10D , 11A–C ). In general, the chelae and the meri of the walking legs of Ms. kensleyi are also less spinose than in Ms. sigsbei . In both Ms. kensleyi and Ms. sigsbei , the lateral telson setae are soft in females but coarse and stiff in males.

Munidopsis kensleyi was misidentified with the Indo­West Pacific Ms. dasypus Alcock, 1894 by Baba & Poore (2002) and Kensley (1977). Baba & Poore’s (2002) specimen (NMV F17063) is herein designated as a paratype of Ms. kensleyi . Kensley (1977) noted the differences in lateral carapace spination between his southern African specimen and typical specimens of Ms. dasypus but accounted for these anomalies by citing MacGilchrist (1905) who apparently reported similar variation in carapace spination for Investigator specimens. The variation in carapace spination of Ms. dasypus reported by MacGilchrist (1905), however, referred to the posterior rather than lateral margin of the carapace. The lateral carapace spines behind the anterolateral spine in Ms. dasypus are diagnostic (Alcock 1894, 1901, Australian Museum specimens examined herein) and will readily distinguish Ms. dasypus from Ms. kensleyi . Munidopsis dasypus further differs from Ms. kensleyi in having longer, more upright spines on the chelae and pereopods.

The Western Australian specimen of Ms. dasypus constitutes the first reliable record of the species from Australia and agrees well with the Andaman Sea specimen collected by the Investigator .

Distribution. Southern Africa and southeastern Australia; 476–1115 m.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Munidopsis kensleyi n. sp., holotype male (22.5 mm), AM P26780. A, dorsum. B, right basal antennular segment, ventral. C, right third maxilliped, lateral. D, right cheliped. E, right cheliped, lateral basal portion. F–H, right pereopods 2–4. I, sternum. J, telson. Scale A, D–I = 4 mm, B, C, J = 2 mm.

FIGURE 11. A, Munidopsis kensleyi n. sp., female paratype (22.0 mm), AM P26781, right chela. B–F, Munidopsis sigsbei (A. Milne­Edwards, 1880). B, D–F, male (20.8 mm), USNM 1001171. C, female (20.7 mm) USNM 150602. A–C, right chela. D, right anterior cephalothorax. E, right pereopod 2, dactylus. F, right basal antennular segment, ventral. Scale A–C = 4 mm, D–F = 2 mm.