Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902

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 : 94-95

Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902

( Figs. 3 , 6 , 8 C)

Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902: 291 , fig. 3 (type locality: off Southern California).— Rathbun, 1904: 167.— Schmitt, 1921: 169, fig. 108.— McCauley, 1972: 415 (list).— Luke, 1977: 26.— Wicksten, 1982: 245 (list).— Wicksten, 1989: 316 (list).— Baba & Poore, 2002: 245, fig. 10.—Poore, 2004: 238, fig. 65k.— Baba, 2005: 194, 298.— Osawa & Takeda, 2007: 142, fig. 6C, D.— Baba et al., 2009: 275, figs. 252, 253.

Material examined. Cold seep, ridge between continental shelf and slope, off Guangdong Province, China, southwest of Taiwan Island, northeastern South China Sea, MBM189174, 119 °17.1277’E, 22°6.930375’N, 1 female (PCL 20.8 mm), 1160 m, coll. Faxian ROV of R/V Kexue, 16 Mar. 2014.

Coloration. Entirely ivory white.

Habitat. Clay and cold seeps; 732–4169 m ( Luke 1977).

Distribution. Western Pacific, including Tasmania, Makassar Strait, northeast and southwest of Taiwan Island, and Okinawa Trough; eastern Pacific, off Oregon, San Nicolas Island, Santa Cruz Basin, from Monterey Bay to off Cerros Island, and off San Diego.

Remarks. Our specimen agrees with the descriptions given by Baba & Poore (2002) and Baba (2005), but has several differences in the armature of the lateral carapace margins, cheliped palm, and P2–4. The present specimen has six spines (the 4th spine is paired) on each lateral carapace margin ( Fig. 3 A) instead of five, three spines on mesial margin of the palm instead of two, and one or two small spines (in addition to the distal two) on each extensor margin of P2–4 carpi ( Fig. 3 B) instead of a row of strong spines. Moreover, the specimen has a relatively short and broad rostrum, with the mesial eyespine reaching to distal third of the rostrum ( Fig. 3 A). In contrast, a specimen from Diaoyu Island ( Baba et al. 2009) has a long, narrow rostrum with the mesial eyespine reaching half the rostrum length. The specimen also resembles M. longispinosa , from the Okinawa Trough, but differs in having no additional small spine adjacent to epigastric spines. This is the first record of M. verrilli from a cold seep environment.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902, MBM 189174, female, PCL 20.8 mm. A, Carapace and abdominal tergites 1 – 5, dorsal view; B, right pereopod 2, lateral view (setae and rugae omitted). Scales equal 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. In situ photo of Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902 on the deep-sea mussel bed in cold seep field of northern South China Sea.

FIGURE 8. Specimens conserved in ethanol. A, Munidopsis lauensis Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1992, MBM 189173, ovig. female, PCL 13.9 mm; B, Munidopsis tuberosa Osawa, Lin & Chan, 2008, MBM 189175, male, PCL 6.3 mm; C, Munidopsis verrilli Benedict, 1902, MBM 189174, female, PCL 20.8 mm; D, Uroptychus jiaolongae n. sp., holotype, MBM 189176, ovig. female, PCL 8.4 mm; E, Uroptychus spinulosus n. sp., holotype, MBM 189177, male PCL 3.7 mm.