Munidopsis gladiola, 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 : 68-70

Munidopsis gladiola n. sp.

( Fig. 32)

Material examined. SE Atlantic, WALVIS, Stn CP13, 3590 m: 1 ovig. F 20.7 mm (MNHN-Ga1595). SW Indian Ocean (South African coast), SAFARI 1, Stn 1 (DS 01), 2608–2625 m: 1 M 12.6 mm (MNHN- Ga1423).—Stn 15 (CP08), 1 F (broken) (MNHN-Ga1425).

Types. The ovigerous female of 20.7 mm from the cruise WALVIS, stn CP13 is the holotype (MNHN Ga 1595) . The other specimens are paratypes.

Etymology. From the Latin gladiolus, small sword, in reference to the shape of the rostrum.

Description. Carapace longer than broad, moderately convex from side to side, with numerous granules and scale-like rugosities; some short setae scattered on dorsal surface and lateral margins. Cervical grooves distinct. Gastric region distinct, posterior part delimited by shallow groove, with pair of epigastric spines and a few mesogastric spines. Rostrum spiniform and horizontal (or slightly upwards), half length of carapace, maximum width one-fifth carapace breadth, not carinated dorsally, with fine rugosities, each lateral border with minute spinules. Antennal spine absent; oblique frontal margin leading to short anterolateral spine (first spine) directed straight forward, followed by one spine (second spine), and some small spines on anterior branchial region, some small spines bordering posterior branchial region. Posterior margin with 2 median spines.

Sternum as long as wide, maximum width at level of sternite 7, sternites smooth; sternite 3 wide, more than one-third width of sternite 4, anterior margin granulated; sternite 4 subtriangular, anteriorly narrow elongate, 2.5 times broader than sternite 3.

Abdomen smooth, with a few granules on pleura; segments 2–4 each with one slightly elevated transverse ridge; segment 6 bearing posteromedian margin clearly exceeding posterolateral lobes. Telson composed of 8 plates; posterior plates combined nearly 1.8 times as wide as long.

Eye not movable; smoothly ovate cornea cupped within broad-based ocular peduncle; peduncle extended into strong but relatively short mesiodorsal spine directed upward at low angle, reaching end of corneae; cornea relatively large, clearly wider than eyespine, and slightly narrower than third article of antennal peduncle. No spine between eye and antennal peduncle.

Basal article of antennule having dorsolateral spine much smaller than distolateral, distomesial process granulated, with accompanying short spine directly dorsal to it.

Basal article of antennal peduncle distomesially bearing granulated process, with two small spines, distolateral spine well-developed; article 2 with strong distolateral spine.

Mxp 3 with weak spination; ischium with short distal spine in extensor and flexor margins, mesial crest with 21–23 denticles. Flexor margin of merus with 4–6 small spines, extensor margin with distal marginal spine.

P1 nearly twice carapace length. Merus nearly reaching end of rostrum, with several distal spines, and some scattered granules and some spines on dorsal and mesial sides; carpus 1.5 times longer than high, with several distal spines and a few mesial spines. Palm with some dorsal and mesial small spines; fingers slightly longer than palm, distally spooned, prehensile edges crenulated; fixed finger without denticulate carina on distolateral margin.

P2 slightly exceeding P1 by half length of dactylus, twice carapace length. Merus 6.5 times longer that high, 3 times carpus length and nearly 1.5 times propodus length; dorsal crest with row of small spines, lateral side with granules, ventral border with row of small spines. Carpus with row of spines along dorsal border and granulated crest along lateral side. Propodus 5 times longer than high, nearly twice as long as dactylus, unarmed. Dactylus smoothly narrowed distally, ending in curved sharp spine, flexor margin slightly curving, bearing 12–14 proximally diminishing low spines, ultimate spine rather remote from end of dactylus and much closer to penultimate. Meri of P3 and P4 progressively shorter posteriorly.

Epipods absent from pereiopods.

Remarks. Munidopsis gladiola closely resembles M. abyssicola Baba, 2005 from the Kermadec Deep, southwest Pacific ( Baba 2005) and Atlantic Ocean ( Macpherson & Segonzac 2005), in having the carapace with some gastric spines, rostrum without lateral spines, first walking legs slightly overreaching P1, main eyespine on mesial end of eyestalk, fixed finger of P1 without carina on distolateral margin, sixth abdominal segment with posteromedian lobe well produced and epipods absent from pereiopods. M. gladiola is readily dis- tinguished from M. abyssicola by the following differences:

—The posterior border of the carapace bears a row of small spines in M. abyssicola , instead of 2 median spines in M. gladiola . Each lateral border of the carapace bears 4 or 5 well-developed spines in M. abyssicola , instead of 2 well-developed spines in M. gladiola .

—The posteromedian lobe of sixth abdominal segment is more produced in M. abyssicola than in M. gladiola .

—The eyespine is small, only reaching the end of cornea in M. gladiola , whereas this spine clearly overreaches the cornea in M. abyssicola . Furthermore, the cornea is as wide as eyespine in M. abyssicola , being clearly wider in M. gladiola .

—The flexor borders of f P2–P4 dactyli are more curved in M. abyssicola than in M. gladiola .

Distribution. Walvis Ridge (southeast Atlantic Ocean) and the southwest Indian Ocean, at 2608–4163 m.