Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971

Arzivian, Arteen, Alrubaie, Ahmad, Yang, Jessica, Lin, Huiyu, Zhang, Eva & Leong, Rupert, 2022, Crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Seas of East and Southeast Asia Collected by the RV Hakuhō Maru (KH- 72 - 1 Cruise) 4. South China Sea, Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series A, Zoology 48 (4), pp. 147-191 : 154

Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971

( Fig. 1B )

Material examined. RV Hakuhō Maru KH-72-1 cruise, sta. 52, 1 juv. ( CB 8.2 mm excluding lateral tubercles, CL 7.4 mm) , NSMTCr 30905.

Remarks. The present juvenile specimen referred here to Mursia australiensis agrees well with the descriptions and photographs given by the original author ( Campbell, 1971), Galil (1993), and Mendoza and Nugroho (2021). The carapace is narrow and convex in both directions; the anterolateral margin is only weakly convex, and the posterolateral margin is strongly convergent toward the lateral end of the carapace posterior margin. The carapace dorsal surface is densely covered with granules and sculptured with three longitudinal ridges at the median gastric, cardiac and intestinal regions and at each branchial region; three ridges are fringed each with a row of bosses; four bosses in a transverse row at the anterior part of the mesogastric and protogastric regions, four in a longitudinal row on the posterior part of the mesogastric, cardiac and intestinal regions, and three in an oblique row on the branchial region. The carapace posterior margin is narrow, and angulated at each lateral end, its median part being produced into an obtuse tubercle that is slightly smaller than the carapace lateral end. Each lateral tubercle of the carapace is sharp, one fourth as wide as the carapace, and weakly directed posterolaterally and obliquely upward. The tubercle at the distal end of the cheliped merus is also sharp, and as long as or slightly longer than the carapace lateral tubercle, with the basal half directed horizontally and distal half directed posterolaterally.

Mursia aspera Alcock, 1899 , recorded by Miyake (1983) from Japan, was tentatavily considered by Galil (1993) to be M. australiensis based on its fresh coloration. However, the species of Mursia generally have a similar color in life, without specific value, and therefore it is presently difficult to determine the true identity of the Japanese specimen.

Distribution. Previously known from Australia (southern Queensland and New South Wales, 100–136 m), New Caledonia (150–320 m) and Indonesia (Sunda Strait and western Java, 234– 281 m). Otherwise, questionably from Tosa Bay, the Pacific coast of Japan, 280 m ( Miyake, 1983, as M. aspera ).

Figures

Fig. 1. A: Mclaydromia colini Guinot and Tavares, 8 (NSMT-Cr 30898; CB 13.1×CL 15.0mm including pseudorostral teeth) from sta. 45. B: Mursia australiensis Campbell, juv. (NSMT-Cr 30905; CB 8.2mm excluding lateral tubercles, CL 7.4 mm) from sta. 52. C: Podophthalmus nacreus Alcock, 8 (NSMT-Cr 30925; CB 11.0×CL 7.1mm) from sta. 45. D: Lissocarcinus arkati Kemp, 8 (NSMT-Cr 30921; CB 9.8×CL 8.7mm) from sta. 45. E–F: Parilia pattersoni Ng, Devi and Kumar, juv. (NSMT-Cr 30906; CB 5.6×CL 6.6mm including posterior median tubercle) from sta. 42.