Mimonecteola beebei Shoemaker

Mimonecteola beebei Shoemaker

(Figs 40 & 41)

Mimonecteola beebei Shoemaker, 1945: 224–228, figs 29, 30. Vinogradov 1956: 199; 1957: 204, fig 11; 1962: 12, fig 7; 1964: 119–120, fig 6. Hurley 1969: 33. Vinogradov 1970: 385 (table). Yoo 1971: 44–45. Vinogradov et al. 1982: 100–102, fig 37. De Broyer & Jazdzewski 1993: 109.

Type material. The holotype male and a paratype female are in the USNM (109470 & 109471), in spirit. The type locality is the North Atlantic, off Bermuda [32°12’N 64°36’W].

Material examined. Types: Holotype male, measuring 9.0 mm (USNM 109470) and paratype female, measuring 11.5 mm (USNM 109471) from the North Atlantic, near Bermuda [32°12’N 64°36’W], William Beebe Oceanographic Expedition, col. 8 Sep. 1930 and 15 Jul. 1930 respectively; both trawled from 1000 fathoms.

Other material examined. Indian Ocean: Juvenile male (BMNH 1999.2359), near the Seychelles, Sealark exped, 1909. Southern Ocean: Juvenile female (USNM); between South America and Antarctica [67°28’S – 67°11’S 74°39’W – 75°06’W]; Eltanin Stn. 280, 2577 m, 24 Oct. 1962.

Diagnosis. Body length of sexually mature females 12.0 mm, of males 11.0 mm (Vinogradov et al. 1982). Antennae 1 slightly longer than head and first 1.5 pereonites combined (medially); peduncular articles and callynophore relatively broader and longer in males; terminal article elongate, marginally longer than preceding two articles combined. Antennae 2 slightly longer than A1. Gnathopod 1; basis marginally shorter than remaining articles combined; dactylus straight, length about half propodus. Gnathopod 2; length 1.4x G1; basis slightly shorter than remaining articles combined; dactylus straight, length about half propodus. Pereopods 3 & 4 similar in structure, with P4 slightly longer than P3; basis length slightly more than twice merus; carpus slightly expanded with several moderate setae on posterior margin, length about twice merus; propodus relatively narrow, subequal in length to carpus; dactylus relatively straight, length about 0.3x propodus. Pereopod 5 slightly longer than P4; basis length 1.7–1.8x merus; carpus length 1.8x merus; propodus slightly shorter than carpus; dactylus curved slightly, length about 0.2x propodus. Pereopod 6 slightly longer than P5, about 1.3x length P4; basis length about twice merus; carpus similar in length to basis; propodus length almost 1.2x carpus; dactylus curved slightly, length about 0.2x propodus. Pereopod 7; length about 0.6x P6; basis length 2.4–2.6x merus; carpus length 1.5–1.8x merus; propodus length about 1.4x carpus; dactylus relatively straight, length about 0.3x propodus. Telson pointed, relatively more narrow in male; length 0.7x (female) – 0.8x (male) peduncle of U3.

According to Vinogradov et al. (1982), the colour of unfixed specimens is olive-green.

Remarks. As mentioned previously, this species is most similar to M. macronyx and may have been confused with it in the past, and that this may account for some of the differences between specimens from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans recorded by Vinogradov et al. (1982). Thus, previous literature records of M. beebei are suspect and need to be confirmed by the examination of specimens recorded.

Distribution. Shoemaker (1945) recorded it from the North Atlantic, off Bermuda. Additional literature records are from the Atlantic, North Pacific (including the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea), North Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean [64°03’S 161°59’E). Two juvenile specimens referable to this species are here recorded from the tropical Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean between South America and Antarctica. Vinogradov et al. (1982) record specimens from catches ranging in depth from 500–3000 m.