Munida forceps 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 : 396

Munida forceps A. Milne-Edwards, 1880

Munida forceps has been reported in depths of 73 to 950 m from Brazil throughout the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico to Virginia, and the Middle Atlantic Bight ( Milne-Edwards 1880; Laird et al. 1976; Wenner 1982; de Melo-Filho & De Melo 2001b). The specimens that were measured were collected in every month except January ( Fig. 8 G) and were collected throughout the published range in depths of 40 to 508 m. A total of 121 males was measured with CW ranging from 3.2 to 18.1 mm; males were not significantly larger than females (t-test, df = 223, t = 0.489, p = 0.625). Ovigerous females were collected in every month except January, May, September, October, and November ( Fig. 8 G). Seventy-two ovigerous females (CW from 4.6 mm to 12.7 mm) and 42 non-ovigerous females (CW from 4.2 to 14.9 mm) were measured; non-ovigerous females were not different in size from ovigerous females (t-test, df = 111, t = -0.226, p = 0.822). Fecundity was related to CW (R2 = 0.495, p<0.001) ( Fig. 4 D), but average egg diameter was not related to CW (R2 = 0.006, p = 0.521). Females had between 11 and 1183 eggs with the average egg diameter of each female ranging between 0.40 mm and 0.58 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Linear regression of carapace width and the number of eggs for Gastroptychus spinifer (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) (A), Eumunida picta Smith, 1883 (B), Munida flinti Benedict, 1902 (C), Munida forceps A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (D), Munida miles A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (E), and Munida pusilla Benedict, 1902 (F). Black dashed lines are the 95 % confidence interval. Dotted lines are 95 % prediction intervals.

FIGURE 8. Number of specimens of each species collected for each month. Gray bars are males, white bars are females, and black bars are ovigerous females.