Galacantha spinosa 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 : 404

Galacantha spinosa A. Milne-Edwards, 1880

Galacantha spinosa was previously reported as Munidopsis spinosa (see Baba et al. 2008) and has been reported from French Guiana to the Gulf of Mexico, with one report in Borneo, in depths of 609 to 1007 m (Milne- Edwards 1880; Chace 1942; Takeda 1983; Baba 1988). Specimens were collected every month except January from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in depths of 183 to 1071 m. Forty-five males, 20 non-ovigerous females, and 31ovigerous females were measured; male CW ranged from 9.0 to 30.3 mm, female CW ranged from 13.8 to 33.0 mm, and ovigerous female CW ranged from 16.8 to 33.1 mm. Males and females were not significantly different in sizes (t-test, df = 94, t = 1.869, p = 0.065), but ovigerous females were significantly larger than nonovigerous females (t-test, df = 49, t = -5.907, p<0.001). Ovigerous specimens were collected in all months except January, March, September, and November ( Fig. 12 B). Females carried between four and 262 eggs with average egg diameters between 0.92 mm and 2.88 mm. Fecundity was correlated with CW (R2 = 0.624, p <0.001) ( Fig. 10 B), but the average egg size was not correlated with CW (R2 = 0.0392, p = 0.462).

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.