Paramunida proxima ( Henderson, 1885 ), 1993

Cabezas, P. E., 2010, Taxonomic revision of the genus Paramunida Baba, 1988 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Galatheidae): a morphological and molecular approach, Zootaxa 2712, pp. 1-60 : 40-41

Paramunida proxima ( Henderson, 1885)

( Figs. 14I, 18B)

Munida proxima Henderson, 1885: 410 (N of the Admiralty Islands, 275 m); 1888: 135, pl. 13, figs 2, 2a, 2b (N of Papua, 275 m). — Tirmizi 1975: 305, figs 1–8 (designation and description of lectotype).

Paramunida proxima Macpherson 1993: 460 , fig. 7 ( Philippines and Indonesia; reexamination of syntypes (= 2 paralectotypes), 210–306 m). — Komai 2000: 360 (list). — Baba 2005: 199, 303 (key, synonymies, Moro Gulf off Zamboanga and Mindanao, 293–366 m). — Baba et al. 2008: 173 (list of occurrences).

Not Munida proxima Baba 1982: 110 , fig. 4 (Izu Shoto, 430 m). — Baba in Baba et al. 1986: 173, 291, fig. 124 (Kyushu- Palau Ridge and off Amami-oshima of the Ryukyus, 320–400 m). — Wu et al. 1998: 143, figs 40, 42F (Taiwan) (= P. leptotes Macpherson & Baba 2009 ).

Material examined. Philippines. MUSORSTOM 1. Stn 40, 13°57'N, 120°18'E, 23 March 1976, 265– 287 m: 1 ov. F 10.5 mm. MUSORSTOM 3. Stn 119, 12°00'N, 121°13'E, 03 June 1985, 320– 337 m: 1 ov. F 11.7 mm .

Indonesia. Kei Islands . KARUBAR. Stn CP 25, 05°30'S, 132°52'E, 26 October 1991, 336– 346 m: 1 M 10.6 mm, 1 ov. F 11.1 mm, 1 F 9.4 mm .

Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8. Stn CP 1107, 15°05.64'S, 167°15,31'E, 07 October 1994, 397– 402 m: 2 ov. F 9.0– 9.4 mm .

Solomon Islands. SALOMON 1. Stn CP 1831, 10°12.1'S, 161°19.2'E, 05 October 2001, 135– 325 m: 1 M 11.6 mm .

Diagnosis. Rostrum triangular, larger than supraocular spines, with thin dorsal carina; margin between rostral and supraocular spines straight or slightly concave. Spinules on gastric and hepatic regions forming groups arising from scale-like striae and with few short uniramous setae. Mesogastric region with 1 (rarely 2) distinct spine. Cardiac region with 3 median well-developed spines in midline. Few and short setae along anterior branch of cervical groove. Sternal plastron with numerous striae on sternites 4–7. Lateral margin of antennular segment 1 with distal slender portion about half as long as proximal inflated portion. Antennal peduncle with anterior prolongation of segment 1 spiniform; segment 2 about twice longer than broad with distomesial spine slightly mucronated, reaching or slightly exceeding antennal peduncle, distolateral spine nearly reaching end of segment 3; segment 3 as long as broad. Base of P1 carpus without bundle of setae. P2 propodus about 9 times as long as wide, and less than 1.5 times dactylus length.

Remarks. Paramunida proxima is closely related to P. belone from New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Van- on sternite 4 in P. belone . Furthermore, the distomesial spine of the antennal segment 2 exceeds far beyond the antennal peduncle in P. belone , whereas this spine only reaches or slightly exceeds the antennal peduncle in P. proxima . The genetic divergences between both species were 5.53% (16S rRNA) and 10.94% (ND1).

Paramunida proxima also resembles P. leptotes from Japan and Taiwan. The two species can be easily distinguished by the following aspects: the distomesial spine of the antennal segment 2 is long, and distinctly overreaching the antennal peduncle by the length of segment 3 in P. leptotes , whereas this spine terminates at the distal end of the peduncle in P. proxima ; the antennal segment 3 in P.leptotes is more elongate, being 1.5– 1.7 times longer than wide instead of being as long as wide in P. proxima . The genetic divergences between P. leptotes and P. proxima were 5.27% (16S rRNA) and 11.06% (ND1).

Genetically the closest relative of this species is P. polita from Indonesia and the Philippines. These species can be easily distinguished by the length of the distomesial spine of the antennal segment 2 which clearly exceeds the antennal peduncle in P. leptotes , whereas this spine at most slightly exceeds the antennal peduncle in P. polita . The genetic divergences between P. leptotes and P. polita were 3.84% (16S rRNA) and 12.81% (ND1).

Finally, P. proxima is also related to P. stichas from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Field Bank, Wallis Islands, and Bayonnaise Bank (see below under Remarks for P. stichas ).

Distribution. Philippines, off Zamboanga, Mindanao, N of the Admiralty Islands, and Indonesia, Kei Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, between 135 and 402 m.