Munidopsis spissata, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, Species of the genus Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1784 from the Indian and Pacific Oceans and reestablishment of the genus Galacantha A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae), Zootaxa 1417, pp. 1-135 : 103-106

Munidopsis spissata n. sp.

( Figs. 47, 48)

Material examined. NW Madagascar, BENTHEDI, Stn CH 82, 3450 m: 2 F 9.8–27.2 mm (MNHN- Ga1573).—Stn CH 87, 3760 m: 5 M 10.2–24.8 mm, 1 ovig. F 27.8 mm, 3 F 20.1–26.5 mm (MNHN-Ga1571), 1 F 28.1 mm (MNHN-Ga5566).—Stn CH 90, 3700 m: 1 M 25.0 mm, 1 ovig. F 25.1 mm, 1 F (broken) (MNHN-Ga1572). W Sri Lanka, SAFARI 2, Stn 2 (CP02), 3625 m: 1 ovig. F 29.5 mm (MNHN-Ga1568).— Stn 2 (CP03), 3450 m: 1 M 25.1 mm, 1 F 23.3 mm (MNHN-Ga1570). Central Indian Ocean, SAFARI 2, Stn 14 (CP12), 3344 m: 1 F 8.3 mm (MNHN-Ga1587).

Types. The female of 28.1 mm from BENTHEDI, Stn CH 87 is the holotype (MNHN-Ga5566) . The other specimens are paratypes.

Etymology. From the Latin spisatus, thicken, in reference to the shape of the carapace.

Description. Carapace longer than broad, covered with short plumose setae, moderately arched from side to side, slightly so from anterior to posterior end; cervical groove slightly distinct; dorsal surface smooth, with some scattered small granules and short striae, both less dense on anterior half; branchial process absent. Pair of small epigastric spines. Rostrum triangular, wide, dorsally carinate, laterally sharply ridged, nearly horizontal but feebly upcurved; 0.3 times carapace length, maximum width 0.2 times carapace breadth. Front margin oblique, moderately crested, bearing antennal spine. Lateral margins subparallel, anterolateral spine short, but larger than antennal spine, second spine situated directly behind end of anterior cervical groove, as long as first, followed by 3 or 4 smaller, posteriorly diminishing spines on anterior branchial region, 2 or 3 short spines at midlength behind notch of posterior branch of cervical groove.

Sternum as long as wide, maximum width at level of sternite 7. Sternites smooth; sternite 3 medially notched, 0.6 times as wide as long, 0.3 width of sternite 4, anterior margin granulated; sternite 4 subtriangular, anteriorly narrow elongate.

Abdomen unarmed, rather smooth, setose. Segments 2–3 each with 2 transverse ridges, anterior ridge sharply crested, posterior ridge preceded by groove. Segment 6 with posteromedian lobe nearly straight transverse, lateral lobes weakly produced. Telson composed of 8 plates, length posterior plates combined nearly 2.5 times as wide as long.

Ocular peduncle not movable; cornea small, greatest width clearly less than width of antennal article 3 at midlength, cupped within broad-based eyestalk mesiodorsally produced into elongate spine, laterally unarmed. Spine between eye and antennal peduncle absent.

Basal article of antennule with distolateral and dorsolateral spines of subequal size; distomesial margin crenulate.

Antennal peduncle having article 1 with anteriorly produced strong distomesial spine nearly reaching end of article 2, strong distolateral spine slightly smaller than distomesial; article 2 with well-developed distolateral spine, distomesial angle rounded; articles 3 and 4 unarmed.

Mxp 3 relatively slender. Ischium as long as merus, 18–20 corneous denticles on crista dentata. Merus with small denticular spines of irregular sizes on flexor margin, extensor distal margin with small, blunt spine.

P1 short, granulated, covered with numerous plumose setae, slightly longer than carapace. Merus reaching midlength of rostrum, with some distal spines, dorsally with a few spines in longitudinal row. Carpus as long as high, terminally bearing several spines on dorsal side, 2 spines on mesial margin, ventral surface smooth. Palm as long as high, with several small mesial and dorsal spines. Fingers slightly shorter than palm, spooned at tips, fixed finger with denticulate carina on distolateral margin.

P2–4 relatively long, somewhat compressed, sparingly with long coarse setae, decreasing in length posteriorly. Meri having dorsal crest with row of spines, ventral margin with row of spines, smaller than dorsal spines, some spine on lateral side. Each carpus with 3 or 4 spines on dorsal margin, lateral ridge with short spines continued on to propodus. Each propodus with several spines on proximal half of dorsal margin, ventral border granulated with 2 small distal teeth. Each dactylus slightly more than half length of propodus, terminal claw short, curved, flexor margin nearly straight, bearing 9–11 low, proximally diminishing teeth, each tooth with seta. P2 overreaching tip of P1 by half length of dactylus; less than 1.5 times carapace length, merus 3.5 times longer than high and more than twice carpus length, propodus 3 times longer than high.

Epipods on P1, absent from P2–4.

Remarks. The new species belongs to the group of species with the carapace and abdomen covered with fine plumose setae, rostrum triangular, without lateral spines, P2 overreaching P1, pair of epigastric spines or processes, main eye-spine on mesial end of eyestalk, cornea relatively small and fixed finger of P1 with denticulate carina on distolateral margin. The closest species is M. teretis Baba, 2005 from off Durban and Tasman Sea, at 3520–3930 m ( Baba 2005) and Taiwan, at 3564–3579 m ( Osawa et al. 2006b). However, M. teretis has a blunt process mesial to the midlength of each posterior half of the carapace margin. This process is always absent in the new species.

Distribution. Northwest Madagascar, western Sri Lanka, Central Indian Ocean, between 3344 and 3760 m.