Munidopsis serricornis

Munidopsis serricornis (Loven, 1852)

Galathea serricornis Loven, 1852: 22.

Munidopsis serricornis.— Baba, 2005: 185, 295 (complete list of synonymies and occurrences).

Material examined. Bay of Biscay, BIOGAS 2, Stn CV21, 47º42’N, 08º03’W, 994 m, 20.04.1973: 2 males 6.3–7.6 mm, 2 ovig. females 6.4–6.7 mm. 1 female 7.0 mm. THALASSA 73, Stn Z 435, 48°37.7’W, 09°53.2’W, 1050 m, 26.10.1973: 1 male 6.0 mm, 1 female 4.5 mm. Off Ireland, THALASSA 75, Stn B 210, 59º17.9’N, 15º39.7’W, 626 m, 25.04.1975: 3 males 7.6–10.9 mm, 4 ovig. females 6.3–11.8 mm.— Stn B 246, 56º50.9’N, 19º43.3’W, 850 m, 21.05.1975: 6 males 5.7–10.5 mm, 8 ovig. females 9.3–13.0 mm, 9 females 5.7–9.2 mm. Off Ireland, INCAL. Stn DS 01, 57°59.2’N, 10°41.3’W, 2091 m, 15.07.1976: 1 male 2.6 mm, 1 female 3.4 mm. NE Atlantic, SEAMOUNT 2, Stn DW 200, 31º19.07’N, 28º36.01’W, 1060 m, 18.01.1993: 2 males 4.1–7.3 mm, 1 female 6.6 mm.— Stn DW 203, 31º09.52’N, 28º43.52’W, 990 m, 19.01.1993: 1 male 4.9 mm, 2 ovig. females 5.6–6.0 mm.­ Stn DW 275, 34º03.49’N, 28º18.07’W, 1665 m, 06.02.1993: 1 male 6.5 mm.— Stn DW 276, 34º02.06’N, 28º18.96’W, 1520 m, 06.02.1993: 3 males 4.5–8.8 mm, 3 females 4.5–8.8 mm.— Stn DW 277, 33º59.92’N, 28º20.56’W, 1000 m, 06.02.1993: 1 male 9.4 mm. Mid­Atlantic­Ridge, OCEANAUT, Stn OT­B04, 34º50.41’N, 36º13’W, 961 m, 30.08.1995: 1 male 7.4 mm, 4 ovig. females 7.0– 8.6 mm, 3 females 4.2–6.1 mm.

Remarks. The species was redescribed and figured by Pequegnat & Pequegnat (1970), Baba (1988, 2005) and Baba & Poore (2002). Munido psis serricornis belongs to the group of species bearing a pair of lateral spines at the anterior end of the horizontal portion of the rostrum, the carapace unarmed on the dorsal surface, bearing 4 spines on the lateral margin, the last spine located at the midlength, the abdomen unarmed, the eyespine absent, the mesial margin of cheliped carpus with 2 distal spines, the proximal larger, the walking legs with a row of spines on the dorsal crest, and no epipods on the pereiopods.

Distribution and habitat. Eastern Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to Cape Verde Islands, northwestern Mediterranean; Caribbean Sea in the western Atlantic; Indian Ocean from Somalia to Saya de Malha Bank, and from the Maldives Islands to west of Sumatra; western Pacific from Philippines to Tasmania and Victoria (see Baba 2005). Depth of occurrence between 100 and 2165 m. The OCEANAUT specimens were extracted from a gorgonarian Acanthogorgia sp. (M. Grasshoff, personal communication) which sheltered several other specimens, filmed by the submarine at the moment of collection. This species can derive nourishment from organic particles, or perhaps even the polyps of this gorgonian.