Munidopsis alfredolaguardai Hendrickx & Ayon-Parente, 2013

Guzman, Guillermo L. & Sellanes, Javier, 2015, A review of the Munidopsidae Ortmann, 1898 (Decapoda, Galatheoidea) in Chilean waters, including new records for the Southeastern Pacific, Zootaxa 4021 (2), pp. 282-306 : 287-289

Munidopsis alfredolaguardai Hendrickx & Ayon-Parente, 2013

( Fig. 3 )

Munidopsis alfredolaguardai Hendrickx & Ayon-Parente, 2013: 1304 –1315, figs. 1–3.

Type locality. Gulf of California, expedition “ TALUD IX” stn 10 (24°56’24”N, 110°16’42”W). Distributional range. Gulf of California to Chiloé, Chile ( Hendrickx & Ayon-Parente 2013; this report). Bathymetric range. 480–1225 m.

New record: MUAP (CD)-0425, 1 male cl 11.62 mm, collected off Chiloé, stn 7176 (42°35’S, 74°48’W, 480– 502 m), “ PUCK ” expedition, RV “Sonne”, April-May 2001; MUAP (CD)-0424, 1 male cl 13.77 mm, Concepción “ONR” expedition stn 10.

Other material. MZUC-CCC-31740, 1 specimen male cl 10.48 mm as M. aspera, Beagle Channel , 25 November 2010.

Description. Rostrum short, irregular in form, armed asymmetrically with simple or bifid tubercles ( Fig. 3 a). Carapace sub-quadrangular, densely setose, with sparse granules with 1 or more cuspidate; with major tubercle in mid-gastric and cardiac regions, major cardiac tubercle bifid. Eyes partially fused, with tubercles on ocular and antennal peduncles. Second to fourth abdominal segments densely covered by tubercles; tubercles on second and third, disposed in transverse medial crest slightly projecting anteriorly ( Fig. 3 b). Chelipeds with 3 rows of sparse, simple to trifid tubercles: 1 dorsal, 1 medial, and 1 ventral row; dorsal and ventral margin with long plumose setae; surface between tubercles with non-calcified zones forming lines and dots. Palm twice length of fixed finger ( Fig. 3 c, d). Pereiopods as long as total carapace length, with same ornamentation as cheliped but unarmed on ventral side, only 2 sub-marginal tubercles spine-like ( Fig. 3 e). Merus and carpus of third maxilliped with tubercles on external margin, inner margin of merus with 2 strong tooth-like lobes ( Fig. 3 f). Crista dentata with 14 noncuspidate teeth ( Fig. 3 g).

Remarks. This recently described species is very characteristic because of its highly ornamented body, with an asymmetrically ornamented rostrum and characteristic tri- or multi-cuspidate tubercles. No other species of the genus displays such ornamentation.

The new record, south by more than 60 degrees of latitude, opens the question of the wide distribution of some deep-sea species of this group and their biogeographical relationships.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Munidopsis alfredolaguardai Hendrickx & Ayon-Parente, 2011, male 11.62 mm, MUAP (CD) - 0425: a, dorsal view of carapace; b, lateral view of first to fourth abdominal somites; c, left cheliped; d, the same showing carpus and merus; e, third left pereiopod; f, third maxilliped; g, detail of crista dentata of third maxilliped. Scale = 1 mm.