Key to Japanese species of Dimorphostylis
1. Frontal lobe of carapace with transverse ridge............................................................... 2
- Frontal lobe of carapace without transverse ridge............................................................ 4
2. Adult male telson with spiniform setae laterally......................................... .. D. asiatica Zimmer, 1921
- Adult male telson with simple short setae laterally............................................................ 3
3. Adult male telson with 3 terminal setae, median seta longer than 3 times as long as outer pair; female carapace with numerous short hairs......................................................................... D. hirsuta Gamô, 1960
- Adult male telson with 3 terminal setae, median seta less than 2 times as long as outer pair; female carapace without hairs..................................................................................... D. valida Harada, 1960
4. Carapace with 4 lateral ridges..................................................... D. quadriplicata Gamô, 1960
- Carapace with 3 lateral ridges............................................................................ 5
5. Pleonite 6 with a pair of spines on dorso-posterior margin...................................................... 6
- Pleonite 6 without a pair of spines on dorso-posterior margin.................................................. 11
6. Lateral ridges of carapace with brunt spines.............................................. D. coronata Gamô, 1960
- Lateral ridges of carapace smooth or with minute tubercles..................................................... 7
7. Dorsolateral ridge of carapace with no spine on anterior end.................................................... 8
- Dorsolateral ridge with 1–3 spines on anterior end............................................................ 9
8. Pereopod 1 propodus 2 times dactylus.................................................. D. gibbosa Harada, 1960
- Pereopod 1 propodus 3 times dactylus................................................ D. cornigera Harada, 1960
9. Dorsolateral ridge of carapace with 2–3 spines on anterior end................................. D. brevicarpus n. sp.
- Dorsolateral ridge of carapace with 1 spine on anterior end.................................................... 10
10. Uropod peduncle 2.5–2.7 times endopod, telson length less than 2 times width, shorter than or as long as pleonite 6........................................................................................... D. elegans Gamô, 1960
- Uropod peduncle 2.9–3.3 times endopod, telson length 2 times width, longer than pleonite 6......... D. bathyelegans n. sp.
11. Uropod endopod article 1 much longer than combined length of articles 2 and 3.................................. 12
- Uropod endopod article 1 as long as or shorter than combined length of articles 2 and 3............................. 13