Genus Miropandalus Bruce, 1983

Miropandalus Bruce, 1983: 482; Holthuis 1993: 263, 269; Hayashi 2007c: 585.

Type species.

Miropandalus hardingi Bruce, 1983.

Diagnosis.

Rostrum absent. Carapace without supraorbital tooth; dorsal midline with two very prominent, erect processes, anterior one postrostral, tapering, posterior one cardiac in position, slightly curved, anteriorly, blunt; suborbital lobe absent; pterygostomial angle rounded or angular. Pleomere 1 with prominent protuberance; pleomere 3 with triangular crest on posterior half of dorsal midline; pleomeres 4 and 5 each without pair of posterolateral teeth; pleomere 5 without deep transverse groove near posterodorsal margin; pleuron rounded posteriorly. Pleomere 6 without posteromedian tooth; posteroventral angle unarmed. Telson posterior margin rounded, with several short spiniform setae. Eye without ocellar spot (nebenauge); cornea without papilla-like tubercle. Antennular peduncle article 1 unarmed on dorsodistal margin; stylocerite subtruncate distally, bi- or tridentate; outer flagellum shorter than peduncle, distal portion completely reduced. Mandible without palp. Maxillule palp with well-developed distal outer lobule, without apical seta. Maxilliped 1 with coxal and basial endites poorly developed, narrow; endopod stout; exopodal flagellum absent. Maxilliped 2 endopod with dactylus fused to propodus; exopod absent. Articulation between carpal article 1 and 2 of pereopod 2 strongly oblique. Pereopods 3-5 propodi narrowing distally, with few minute spiniform setae on flexor margin; carpi without spiniform setae on lateral surface; meri of pereopods 3 and 4 unarmed. Male pleopod 1 endopod with small rounded lateral lobe far exceeded by well-developed appendix interna.

For illustrations, see Bruce (1983: figs 1-5) and Hayashi (2007c: figs 557 –559a–e).

Composition.

Monotypic.

Distribution.

West Pacific, subtidal to 58 m; associated with antipatharian corals.