Uroptychus minutus Benedict, 1902

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 : 386

Uroptychus minutus Benedict, 1902

Uroptychus minutus was collected in the Gulf of Mexico, although the type specimen is from Trinidad at 134 m ( Benedict 1902). A total of 19 specimens was measured from the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 46 to 81 m ( Fig. 2 ): seven females, four ovigerous females, and eight males; one ovigerous female was not measured. Specimens were only collected in May and June; ovigerous females were collected in both months ( Fig. 3 C). Males CW ranged from 2.3 to 4.7 mm. Non-ovigerous females had CW of 2.1 to 3.5 mm; ovigerous females had CW of 3.4 to 3.8 mm. Ovigerous females and non-ovigerous females were not significantly different in size (t-test, df = 8, t = 1.823, p = 0.106). Males and females were not significantly different in size either (t-test, df = 15, t = 0.579, p = 0.571). No significant correlation existed between fecundity and the size of the ovigerous female (R2 = 0.324, p = 0.655). Ovigerous females had between one and eight eggs, and the average egg diameter for each female was between 1 mm and 1.4 mm. However, the sample size was not large enough to make definitive statements about this species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of each species of the Chirostylidae and Eumunididae used in analysis. Each symbol is a collection location and different species (see legend).

FIGURE 3. Number of specimens of each species collected for each month. Gray bars are males, white bars are females, and black bars are ovigerous females.