Munida angulata 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 : 395

Munida angulata Benedict, 1902

Munida angulata has been reported from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 38 to 75 m ( Benedict 1902; de Melo-Filho & de Melo 2001a). This species is commonly confused with Munida pusilla , and such may be the case with these specimens. All of the specimens used in this analysis were collected in the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 24 to 260 m; this represents a pronounced depth extension of the species. A total of 64 males, 12 females, and 27 ovigerous females was collected. Males were not significantly larger than females (t-test, df = 101, t = - 1.547, p = 0.125). Ovigerous females were collected March through August, October, and November ( Fig. 8 C). Ovigerous females and non-ovigerous females were not significantly different in size (t-test, df = 37, t = 1.750, p = 0.088). Fecundity was not significantly correlated with size (R2 = 0.000791, p = 0.915) nor was average egg diameter correlated with size (R2 = 0.0276, p = 0.554). Females had between one and 118 eggs and the average egg diameter of each female ranged between 0.25 mm and 0.45 mm.

Figures

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.