Munidopsis erinacea ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 )

Kilgour, Morgan J. & Shirley, Thomas C., 2014, Reproductive biology of galatheoid and chirostyloid (Crustacea: Decapoda) squat lobsters from the Gulf of Mexico, Zootaxa 3754 (4), pp. 381-419 : 406

Munidopsis erinacea ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

Munidopsis erinacea has been reported as Munidopsis erinaceus and Galathodes erinaceus (see Baba et al. 2008) from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 238 to 1574 m ( Milne-Edwards 1880; Chace 1942; Tavares & Campinho 1998; Campos et al. 2005). Specimens in this analysis were from within the published depth ranges of the species in depths of 344 to 1487 m. Specimens were collected in every month; ovigerous specimens were collected in every month except August and January ( Fig. 12 G). One hundred fifteen males (CW from 3.3 mm 19.5 mm), 50 females (CW from 3.2 to 11.0 mm) and 44 ovigerous females (CW from 5.1 to 12.7 mm) were measured. Males were significantly larger than females (t-test, df = 207, t = -2.102, p = 0.037); ovigerous females were significantly larger than non-ovigerous females (t-test, df = 90, t = -3.483, p<0.001). Females carried between one and 82 eggs with an average egg diameter of 1.02 to 1.33 mm. Fecundity was correlated with CW (R2 = 0.432, p = 0.004) ( Fig. 10 C), but average egg diameter was not correlated with CW (R2 = 0.113, p = 0.203).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Linear regression of carapace width and the number of eggs for Munida valida Smith, 1883 (A), Galacantha spinosa A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (B), Munidopsis erinacea (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) (C), Munidopsis longimanus (A. Milne- Edwards, 1880) (D), Munidopsis riveroi Chace, 1939 (E) and Munidopsis robusta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) (F). Black dashed lines are the 95 % confidence interval. Dotted lines are 95 % prediction intervals.

FIGURE 12. Number of specimens of each species collected for each month. Gray bars are males, white bars are females, and black bars are ovigerous females.