Munidopsis tuberosa Osawa, Lin & Chan, 2008

Dong, Dong & Li, Xinzheng, 2015, Galatheid and chirostylid crustaceans (Decapoda: Anomura) from a cold seep environment in the northeastern South China Sea, Zootaxa 4057 (1), pp. 91-105 : 93-94

Munidopsis tuberosa Osawa, Lin & Chan, 2008

( Figs. 2 B–D, 8B)

Munidopsis tuberosa Osawa et al., 2008: 52 , figs. 6H, 7, 8 (type locality: off Taiwan, 22°15.699’N, 120°02.131’E, 945–1059 m).— Baba et al., 2009: 273, figs. 250, 251.

Material examined. Cold seep, ridge between continental shelf and slope, off Guangdong Province, China, southwest of Taiwan Island, northeastern South China Sea, MBM189175, 119 °17.137’E, 22°6.927’N, 1 male (PCL 6.3 mm), 1121 m, coll. Jiaolong manned submersible of R/V Xiangyanghong 9, 9 July 2013.

Diagnosis. Carapace ( Fig. 2 B) distinctly areolated; gastric region strongly elevated; frontal, hepatic and anterior branchial regions covered with compact tubercles; gastric, intestinal and posterior branchial regions with tubercles relatively low as elevated scale-like rugae. Lateral margins parallel, unarmed but strongly tuberculate or rugose; anterolateral angles blunt. Rostrum triangular; median carina smooth. Doral surface of abdomen smooth, intermittently grooved on segments 2–4. Third maxilliped ( Fig. 2 C) slender, merus with flexor margin spinulate, ischium with acute distoflexor and distoextensor angles. Pereopod 1(P1, chelipeds) ( Fig. 2 D) with numerous tubercles or elevated scale-like rugae on each segment; merus armed with 2 strong distomesial spines each on dorsal and ventral side; fingers spoon-shaped at tips. Pereopods 2–4 (P2–4, ambulatory legs) tuberculate. Epipods present on pereopods 1–3.

Habitat. Cold seep sediments; 945–1121 m.

Distribution. Southwest of Taiwan, northeastern South China Sea.

Remarks. The male specimen examined has the dorsal surface of the abdomen and the median carina of the rostrum smooth (without tubercles), and the surfaces of gastric, intestinal and posterior branchial regions as well as pereopod 1 somewhat less tuberculate but rugose; whereas in the female holotype, the entire dorsal surfaces of the carapace (including the median carina of the rostrum), abdomen and the pereopod 1 are compactly tuberculate. We consider these differences as intraspecific or possibly sexual variations, because the two specimens share a series of significant characters including the parallel and unarmed lateral margins, and the tuberculate and areolated carapace. The present specimen was collected from sediment samples at the cold seep site, representing its occurrence in this reduced environment.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Munidopsis lauensis Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1992, MBM 189173, ovig. female, PCL 13.9 mm (A); Munidopsis tuberosa Osawa, Lin & Chan, 2008, MBM 189175, male, PCL 6.3 mm (B – D). A, right pereopod 2, posterior view; B, carapace and abdominal tergites 1 – 4, dorsal view; C, left third maxilliped, ventral view; D, right cheliped, dorsal view. Scales equal 1.0 mm.