Munidopsis rostrata (A. Milne­Edwards, 1880)

Macpherson, Enrique & Segonzac, Michel, 2005, Species of the genus Munidopsis (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) from the deep Atlantic Ocean, including cold-seep and hydrothermal vent areas, Zootaxa 1095 (1), pp. 1-60 : 41-42

Munidopsis rostrata (A. Milne­Edwards, 1880)

Galacantha rostrata A. Milne­Edwards, 1880: 52 .

Munidopsis rostrata .— Baba, 2005: 180, 294 (complete synonymy and references).

Material examined. NE Atlantic, NORATLANTE, Stn 44­B15, 44º07’N, 04º09’W, 1884 m, 26.10.1969: 2 males 14.0– 15.9 mm, 1 female 16.7 mm. Gulf of Guinea, WALDA, Stn CY23 , 0º45’N, 08º27’E, 2231 m, 02.08.1971: 1 male 24.0 mm. Azores Islands , BIACORES, Stn 171, 37°58.5’N, 26°07'W, 3215 m, 01.11.1971: 2 males 24.8 mm and broken.—Stn 174, 38º06’N, 26º15’W, 3070 m, 02.11.1971: 1 male 23.2 mm.— Stn 176, 38°00.5’N, 26°21.5’W, 2700 m, 02.11.1971: 9 males 8.9–18.6 mm, 7 females 9.3–17.9 mm.—Stn 252, 47º35.5’N, 08º47’W, 2640 m, 18.11.1971: 3 males 14.8–24.7 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 1, Stn CV07 , 47º33’N, 08º13’W, 2190 m, 07.08.1972: 1 female 13.3 mm. Bay of Biscay , POLYGAS, Stn CV11 , 47º29’N, 08º16’W, 2141 m, 23.10.1972: 2 females 10.1–12.3 mm.— Stn DS 15, 47°37.2’N, 08°40.1’W, 2246 m, 24.10.1972: 1 female 27.8 mm.— Stn DS 16, 47º36’N, 08º40’W, 2325 m, 21.10.1972: 2 males 21.4 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 2, Stn CV20 , 47º37’N, 08º34’W, 2282 m, 19.04.1973: 1 male 19.8 mm, 2 ovig. females 26.6–34.3 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 4, Stn CP 01, 47º35’N, 08º39’W, 2245 m, 25.02.1974: 13 males 8.4–25.4 mm, 2 ovig. females 27.8–30.2 mm, 13 females 10.0– 28.3 mm, 1 juv. 7.8 mm.— Stn CP 02, 47º33’N, 08º41’W, 2177 m, 26.02.1974: 1 female 9.9 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 5, Stn CV39 , 47º33’N, 08º45’W, 2350 m, 14.06.1974: 1 male 26.7 mm, 4 females 13.0– 24.7 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 6, Stn CP 08, 47º33’N, 08º38’W, 2177 m, 20.10.1974: 2 males 11.8–13.3 mm.— Stn CP 09, 47º33’N, 08º44’W, 2177 m, 20.10.1974: 1 male 12.1 mm. Off Ireland, INCAL, Stn DS 03, 57°25.5’N, 11°03.4’W, 609 m, 17.07.1976: 1 male 27.7 mm.— Stn CP 09, 10°15.4’N, 13°15.8’W, 2659 m, 27.07.1976: 3 males 14.0– 21.2 mm, 2 ovig. females 22.6–29.2 mm, 1 female 18.2 mm. Bay of Biscay , BIOGAS 11, Stn CP 37, 44°34.10’N, 08°40.5’W, 2175 m, 11.10.1981: 5 males 13.1–26.1 mm, 1 female 12.6 mm. Bay of Biscay, EPI I, Stn CP 38, 47°33.75’N, 08°42.16’W, 2100 m, 29.03.1984: 6 males 10.5–25.0 mm. Bay of Biscay, EPI IV, Stn CP 40, 47º34’N, 08º41’W, 2100 m, 04.09.1985: 1 male 20.4 mm, 3 females 8.1–24.2 mm. NW Atlantic, MAR­ECO, Stn 50 (Lstn 373), 43º12’N, 28º19’W, 2598 m, 12.07.2004: 1 male 11.7 mm, 2 females 17.5–18.2 mm. — Stn 50 (Lstn 374), 42º33’N, 28º35’W, 2977 m, 13.07.2004: 1 ovig. female 26.9 mm. — Stn 65 (Lstn 382), 53º20’N, 33º36’W, 3015 m, 24.07.2004: 1 male 24.2 mm. — Stn 72 (Lstn 386), 53º10’N, 35º19’W, 2534 m, 27.07.2004: 9 males 7.9–27.0 mm, 3 females 9.6–16.6 mm .

Remarks. The species was described from specimens collected in Bequia (Lesser Antilles) at 2912 m (A. Milne­Edwards 1880). Munido psis rostrata has been redescribed and figured in numerous papers, see for instance Khodkina (1975: 263), Baba (1988: 161), Baba & Poore (2002: 239), Baba (2005: 180) and references cited therein. Furthermore, the species has been considered the senior synonym of some species described later, i.e., Galacantha bellis Henderson, 1885 (type locality: off Juan Fernandez, 2516 m), G. talismani Filhol, 1885 (type locality: north of Canary Islands, 2075­2085 m), G. areolata Wood­Mason, 1891 (type locality: Bay of Bengal, 2397 m), G. investigatoris Alcock & Anderson, 1894 (type locality: Laccadive Sea, 2200 m). However, the specimens from the different localities show some morphological differences that could indicate the existence of several different species (unpublished data). A revision of the material from different localities is needed to confirm the specific identity of the specimens from different areas.

Munidopsis rostrata is characterized by the carapace surface covered with simple or scale­like tubercles, one prominent median spine on gastric region, 2 prominent spines on anterior lateral margin of carapace, the rostrum bearing lateral spines, with its proximal portion horizontal, distal portion directed strongly upwards, and epipods present on the chelipeds and first two pairs of walking legs.

Distribution. As Baba (2005) pointed out, M. rostrata is a widespread species, known from the western and eastern Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and western and eastern Pacific, from low to high latitudes (see Baba, 2005 for the list of localities). The species occurs between 1600 and 3294 m. The present material was collected in the northern Atlantic, from off Ireland (57º25.5’N) to the Gulf of Guinea (0º45’N), between 1884 and 3215 m.