Munidopsis robusta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Vazquez-Bader, Ana Rosa & Gracia, Adolfo, 2016, Diversity and distribution of Chirostyloidea and Galatheoidea (Decapoda, Anomura) in the Southern Gulf of Mexico, ZooKeys 612, pp. 1-30 : 16-17

Taxon classification Animalia Decapoda Munidopsidae

Munidopsis robusta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Material examined.

BIOREPES 3 stn. A2, 4 males, 8 ovigerous females; stn A11, 1 female, 1 ovigerous female; stn. A12, 1 male; stn. B1, 2 ovigerous females; stn. B3, 1 male, 1 ovigerous female; stn. B4, 1 male; stn. B6, 10 males, 2 females, 7 ovigerous females. COBERPES stn. A4, 1 female, 1 ovigerous female; stn. Ω 15, 2 males, 1 ovigerous female. COBERPES 2011 stn. D7, 1 male. COBERPES 3 stn. α 7, 1 male. COBERPES 4 stn A3, 1 ovigerous female; stn A4, 2 males, 2 ovigerous females; stn A5, 11 males, 10 females; stn B15, 1 male; stn B15B, 9 males, 1 female, 10 ovigerous females; stn C35, 1 female.

Remarks.

Munidopsis robusta was commonly captured in the Gulf of Mexico from the N Carolina–Florida Straits; Gulf of Mexico (all sectors); Caribbean Sea-Colombia ( Ortega-Echeverría 2014); 110-4708 m ( Felder et al. 2009). In the southern part, we collected this species, off N and S of Laguna Madre (sectors WNW, WSW); Soto La Marina and San Fernando River (WSW); Mecoacán Lagoon and Tonalá River (SSW); and Cabo Catoche (ESE), from 347.0 to 953.0 m depth. This species was the most abundant of the Munidopsidae family (n = 97 individuals). Many of them were collected in the WNW sector (53.9%; 401.3-546.0 m) during autumn (52.6%; 347.0 to 577.0 m). The CL mean size of ovigerous females was larger [x = 18.4 ± 2.129 (14.0-22.6)] than males [x = 16.9 ± 1.983 (10.7-20.1)]. The males’ size was small at shallow depths and also during autumn (F(depth) = 5.434, p = 0.0037, and F(season) = 8,956, p = 0.0007) (Fig. 7a, b).

The overall sex ratio difference was not statistically different ( χ 2 = 0.051, p = 0.8208); as it was observed among seasons. The ovigerous females occurred in spring, summer, and autumn in a depth interval of 347.0-546.0 m. Maximum number was reported in autumn. One male (CL = 13.4 mm) was infested by bopyrid.