Munidopsis kareenae, Ahyong, Shane T., 2013

Ahyong, Shane T., 2013, Munidopsis kareenae, a new species of seamount squat lobster from New Zealand with a key to the New Zealand species of Munidopsis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Munidopsidae), Zootaxa 3599 (5), pp. 490-494 : 491-493

Munidopsis kareenae sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Holotype. NIWA 19202, male (cl 18.4 mm, pcl 13.3 mm), Nukuhou Seamount, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand, 37°08.11’S, 177°17.81’E, 1050 m, dredge, X201, 6 December 1989.

Description. Carapace: Moderately convex from side to side; sparsely covered with short, fine setae and fine striae; cervical groove shallow; pair of short epigastric striae. Posterior orbital margins oblique, outer orbital spine prominent. Frontal margins oblique; anterolateral spine slightly larger than outer orbital spine. Lateral margins broadly convex; widest at posterior third; margins unarmed but with 2 shallow well spaced notches on hepatic margin. Rostrum broad, 0.35 remaining carapace length; trifid distally; carinate dorsally; apex slightly inclined dorsally; lateral proximal margin almost straight. Pterygostomian flap with short, sparse striae; anterior margin blunt, angular.

Sternum: Sternum longer than wide. Sternite 3 about one-third width of sternite 4. Posterior margin of sternite 3 in point contact with anterior margin of sternite 4. Sternites smooth, unarmed, without striae.

Abdomen: Tergites with short, fine, scattered setae, without spines. Tergites 2–4 with elevated anterior ridge; tergites 2–3 also with shallow groove behind anterior ridge. Tergite 6 with posterior margin not strongly produced. Telson composed of 8 plates. Uropodal endopod lateral margins setose, unarmed.

Eye: Ocular peduncle unarmed, surface sparsely setose; movable; partially concealed by rostrum. Cornea subglobular, slightly wider than peduncle; small slender spine directly lateral to ocular peduncle.

Antennule: Basal article squat, 2 subequal distolateral spines; distomesial margin dentate.

Antenna: Basal article with triangular mesial and lateral tooth, neither overreaching article 2. Article 2 with strong distolateral spine, reaching beyond midlength but not apex of article 3. Article 3 unarmed. Article 4 with lateral triangular projection. Flagellum twice carapace length.

Maxilliped 3: Dactylus, propodus and carpus unarmed. Merus extensor margin with slender distal spine; flexor margin with small distal spine and 2 large spines proximally, first with prominent convex lobe on posterior margin, second slender. Ischium wider than long, with distal flexor and extensor spine. Crista dentata finely denticulate.

Pereopod 1 (cheliped): Elongate, 3 times carapace length; with tufts of long, simple setae, most numerous on dorsal and ventral margins; subcylindrical to ovate. Propodus with row of dorsal and subventral spines, palm about twice as long as high; dorsal margin of palm as long as dactylus. Pollex and dactylus occlusal margins dentate, apices with interlocking teeth; pollex occlusal margin with low tooth anterior to midlength; dactylus occlusal margin with low proximal dentate lobe. Carpus with 4 distal spines (dorsal, ventral, mesial, lateral); dorsal margin with distal and subdistal spine, latter largest; lateral distal spine preceded by row of 2 spines. Merus with row of 3 strong, graded dorsal spines, largest distally; mesial margin with 2 large mesial spines, one distally at carpal articulation, one slightly distal to midlength of margin; ventromesial margin with 2 strong spines proximally and distal spine. Ischium with ventrodistal spine and dorsal spine. Epipod absent.

Pereopods 2–4: Slightly compressed; decreasing in length posteriorly; scattered, setose striae. Merus extensor margin with prominent upright spines (6 on pereopods 2–3, 1 or 2 on pereopod 4) in addition to large distal spine; flexor margin irregularly serrated or minutely spinose, strong distal spine. Carpus with distal extensor spine and 3 spines along margin of pereopods 2–3, pereopod 4 margin unarmed; low, irregular, lateral carina. Propodus length 6.5–6.7 times height; extensor margin unarmed; flexor margin with movable spine at distal one-third to onequarter, paired movable spines distally adjacent to dactylar articulation. Dactylus longer than carpus, about twothirds propodus length; extensor margin unarmed, with scattered setae; flexor margin with 10–12 short, triangular teeth, each bearing corneous movable spine; movable spine at base of corneous unguis. Epipods absent.

Etymology. Named for Kareen Schnabel (NIWA), for her important contributions to New Zealand carcinology, especially squat lobsters.

Remarks. Munidopsis kareenae sp. nov. is allied to members of the “ Galathodes group” within Munidopsis (Ahyong et al. 2011) , and in particular, those species within the group sharing a flattened, distally trifid rostrum, an unarmed carapace surface (apart from paired epigastric spines in some species), unarmed abdominal tergites and absence of pereopodal epipods. These species include M. acuminata Benedict, 1902 [off South Carolina, northwestern Atlantic], M. comarge Taylor, Ahyong & Andreakis, 2010 [ Taiwan to Western Australia and New Zealand], M. mina Benedict, 1902 [Galápagos Islands], M. modesta Benedict, 1902 [Galápagos Islands], M. norfanz Ahyong, 2007 [Tasman Sea], M. pubescens Macpherson, 2007 [ Madagascar], M. serricornis Lovén, 1852 [Atlantic Ocean], M. ternaria Macpherson, 2007 [ New Caledonia], M. transtridens Pequegnat and Pequegnat, 1971 [Gulf of Mexico and Brazil], M. treis Ahyong & Poore, 2004 [southern Australia to New Caledonia including New Zealand], M. tridens ( A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) [Caribbean Sea], and M. trifida Henderson, 1885 [widespread in the Indo-West Pacific region]. Munidopsis kareenae differs from each of these species, except M. comarge , M. norfanz and M. ternaria , in lacking spines on the lateral margins of the carapace behind the anterolateral spine. Munidopsis kareenae is readily separated from M. ternaria by lacking epigastric spines, and from M. norfanz , M. ternaria and M. comarge in having prominently spinose (rather than serrate) extensor margins of the meri and carpi of pereopods 2 and 3. Aside from the absence of epigastric spines, and absence of lateral carapace spines behind the anterolateral spine, M. kareenae is most similar to M. trifida and M. treis : in both species, the apical spine of the rostrum is elongate, so that the lateral spines are nearer the rostral midlength than apex; the frontal margins of the carapace distinctly and consistently slope posteriorly, rather than being transverse or concave behind the eye.

Distribution. Presently known only from Nukuhou Seamount, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand; 1050 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Munidopsis kareenae sp. nov., male holotype, cl 18.4 mm, pcl 13.3 mm (NIWA 19202). A, dorsal habitus; B, carapace, right lateral view; C, right cheliped proximal segments, ventrolateral view; D, right cheliped finger tips, mesial view; E, right antenna and antennule, ventral view; F, right antennular basal article, lateral view; G, right maxilliped 3; H, right crista dentata; I, sternal plastron; J, telson and right uropod. Scale: A – D = 5.0 mm; E – I = 2.5 mm; J = 4.0 mm.