Agononida longipes ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 )

Schmidt, Gustavo A. & Melo-Filho, De, 2008, Specimens of Galatheidae (Crustacea: Decapoda) collected by N. Pq. “ Soloncy Moura ” off the Southern Coast of Brazil under the Revizee Program, Zootaxa 1841, pp. 31-42 : 34

Agononida longipes ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Munida longipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1880: 50 ; A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier 1894: 257; 1897: 44, pl. 3, figs. 9–13; Benedict 1901: 147; 1902: 310; Hay & Shore 1918: 402, pl. 28, fig. 9; Schmitt 1935: 178; Chace 1942: 47; Pequegnat & Pequegnat 1970: 132, fig. 5–3; Wenner & Boesch 1979: 110; Wenner 1982: 363; Takeda 1983: 88; Williams 1984: 235, fig. 170; Lemaitre 1984: 428, tab. 1; Abele & Kim 1986: 35, figs. c, p. 405; Melo-Filho & Melo 1992a: 514; Poupin 1994: 36; Escobar-Briones & Soto 1993: 111, tab. 2; Rambla 1995: 98, fig. 2; Melo-Filho 1998: 395; Melo 1999: 192, fig. 121, 122 a–e; Melo-Filho 1999: 388, fig. 13; Melo-Filho & Melo 2001a: 1190, fig. 9; 2001b: 1155, fig. 20, 21; 2001c: 47.

Munida paynei Boone, 1927: 53 , fig. 11.

Agononida longipes .—Baba & de Saint Laurent 1996: 442; Melo-Filho 2006: 5, fig. 2 tabs. 1, 2.

Material Examined. Antilles: Barbados USS “Blake”, st. 274, 376m ( MNHN Ga 543, lectotype). Brazil: São Paulo – N. Pq. “Soloncy Moura”: st. 1139, 299 m, 1 ex. ( MZUSP 15363). Santa Catarina – N. Pq. “Soloncy Moura”: st. 403, 400 m, 1 ex. ( MZUSP 15355); st. 405, 197 m, 1 ex. ( MZUSP 15367), st. 1004, 295 m, 54 ex. ( MZUSP 15349); st. 1005, 199 m, 13 ex. ( MZUSP 15361); st. 1007, 101 m, 1 ex. ( MZUSP 15369).

Recognition characters. Carapace with margins arched, almost as wide as long. Outer orbital spine followed by 5 lateral spines. Gastric area with 1 pair of epigastric spines. One parahepatic spine on each side of carapace. Branchial and hepatic areas unarmed. One cervical spine on each side of carapace. Cardiac area with 1 central spine above mesocardiac groove. Several spines in posterior branchial area. Posterior margin of carapace with 1 pair of spines. Rostrum short, length similar to supraocular spines. Abdominal tergites 2 and 3 with anterior margin armed with 4 spines each; abdominal tergite 4 with 2 or 4 spines on anterior margin. Peduncle of antennule with outer terminal spine much longer than inner one. Peduncle of antenna with only segment 2 armed, with 1 inner and 1 outer spine. Third maxilliped with 1 strong spine on ventral (flexor) margin of merus. Ambulatory legs characteristically long, their lengths similar to that of cheliped.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Virginia, Carolinas, Gulf of Mexico (south and north coast), Bahamas, Cuba (north and south coast), Cay Sal Banks, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles ( St. Kitts, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados), Mexico, Venezuela, Guiana and Brazil (São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul); 129–729 meters depth. According to Wenner (1982), this species is most abundant between 200 and 400 meters.