A new species of Munidopsis from a seamount of the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge (Decapoda: Munidopsidae)

Abstract

Wood and whale bone colonisation experiments were undertaken on the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, 18 November 2009. Later, 14 December 2011, squat lobsters were recovered from the submerged wood and assigned to Munidopsis sp. Further study indicated that the specimens belonged to the group of species having a rostrum without lateral spines, presence of two strong epigastric spines, unarmed abdominal segments, one dorsal eye-spine, and with the second pereiopod not reaching the end of the first. They were similar to M. hemingi Alcock & Anderson, 1899 but differed in that the epigastric spines are well developed (vs. tubercles in M. hemingi), the lateral margins of the carapace are straight (vs. more convex in M. hemingi), the eye has a tubercular process mediodorsally (vs. a papilliform spinule at mesial angle) and the epipods on the fourth pereiopod were absent (vs. present in M. hemingi). Consequently the Munidopsis specimens from the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge were considered to be an undescribed species.

New sibling species and new occurrences of squat lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the western Indian Ocean

“…There are many taxonomic problems in some species complexes, and although some recent works (e.g., Ahyong 2014; Macpherson et al 2014;Poore & Andreakis 2014) (Baba 1988(Baba , 2005Macpherson 1994), and is attributed to differential growth rates between sexes (Creasey et al 2000). The overall sex ratios for males and females of these species are biased towards larger males ( Table 2).…”

Munidopsis species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Munidopsidae) from carcass falls in Weijia Guyot, West Pacific, with recognition of a new species based on integrative taxonomy

“…Known as opportunists, Munidopsis species have often been observed in whale-fall and wood-fall ecosystems (Williams, Smith & Baco, 2000; Jones & Macpherson, 2007; Macpherson, Amon & Clark, 2014; Sumida et al, 2016; Amona et al, 2017). Previous studies found that Munidopsis species associated with whale falls or wood falls had a heterogeneous diet and could be scavengers, predators, bacterivorous detritivores and/or even wood-eaters, and were present in the community in every developmental stage (Janßen, Treude & Witte, 2000; Smith & Baco, 2003; Kemp et al, 2006; Macavoy et al, 2008; Hoyoux et al, 2012).…”

The species of Mathildella Guinot and Richer de Forges, 1981 and Neopilumnoplax Serène in Guinot, 1969 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Mathildellidae)

“…Other decapods recently described from Atlantis Bank and also collected by ROV Kiel 6000 include the squat lobsters Munidopsis mandelai Macpherson, Amon and Clark, 2014, and Munidopsis atlantis Ahyong, 2014. Distribution.-Presently known only from Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge; 1053 m.…”