Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971

Published, First, 2009, New records of crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the New Zealand region, including a new species of Rochinia A. Milne-Edwards, 1875 (Majidae), and a revision of the genus Dromia Weber, 1795 (Dromiidae), Zootaxa 2111, pp. 1-66 : 40

Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971

Fig. 19

Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971: 31 , pl. 2a, b, fig. 1. — Galil 1993: 355,figs 1d, 2g, h, 3e, f, 11 (colour). — Davie 2002: 128.

Material Examined. Lord Howe Rise, Capel Bank: NZOI stn I730, 1 specimen (sex unknown) 24.4 mm x 20.0 mm ( CW incl. spines 38.6 mm) , 25°32.50’S, 159°38.99’E, 300 m, 10 May 1979. This record is based on a photo of a live specimen at the time of capture: whereabouts of the specimen unknown.

Remarks. M. australiensis is easily distinguished from M. microspina by the longer lateral carapace spines (about 40% of CW, about 10% of CW in M. microspina ), the longer meral spines on the chelipeds (about 35% of CW, about 5% of CW in M. microspina ) and colour of patch on inner palm surface of chelipeds (small light red patch vs large dark red-purple patch). The present specimen came from 300 m, within the known depth range of 40– 320 m.

Distribution. Australia (Queensland, New South Wales), New Caledonia and now Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea. Depth range 40– 320 m.