Munidopsis proales Ahyong & Poore 2004, n. sp.

Munidopsis proales n. sp. (Fig. 12)

Type material. HOLOTYPE: SAM C6087, female (ocl. 9.1 mm), 148 km ESE of Cape Arid, Western Australia, 34°13’S, 124°37.9’E, 513–540 m, trawl, FV Adelaide Pearl stn 9, K. Gowlett­Holmes et al., 30 Jul 1988.

Diagnosis. Carapace covered with strongly rugose, upraised squamae and tubercles; cervical groove distinct; regions well defined; with pair of blunt epigastric processes; frontal margin with narrow, blunt antennal process; lateral margins with four large, pointed, anterolaterally directed teeth; posterior margin unarmed. Abdominal tergites unarmed. Sixth abdominal tergite with posterior margin not strongly produced. Telson composed of 8 plates. Eyestalk movable, with short, multipapillate dorsal processes. Pereopods 1–3 (cheliped and first two walking legs) with epipod. Cheliped slender; sparsely setose and rugose; palm about 4 times as long as high. Walking legs coarsely tuberculate; dactylus with 15–17 small movable spines on flexor margin.

Description. Carapace: Moderately arched from side to side; covered with sparsely setose, strongly rugose, upraised squamae and tubercles; cervical groove distinct; regions well defined; with pair of blunt epigastric processes. Frontal margin with narrow, blunt antennal process. Lateral margins with four large, pointed, anterolaterally directed teeth; carapace widest at posteriormost tooth. Posterior margin with low ridge, covered with rugose squamae. Rostrum unknown. Pterygostomian flap with squamous surface; anterior margin angular, blunt, acute but not spinous.

Sternum: Third sternite about one­third with of sternite 4; anterior margin with shallow concavity. Anterior two­thirds of sternite 4 covered with short, finely setose striae. Remaining sternites with scattered striae. Ridges demarcating fourth to seventh sternites feebly granular.

Abdomen: Tergites with short, fine, scattered setae. Second to fourth tergites unarmed; with elevated ridge followed by transverse groove. Sixth tergite with posterior margin not strongly produced. Telson composed of 8 plates. Uropodal endopod with unarmed lateral margins.

Eye: Movable, with short, multipapillate processes dorsally; cornea subglobular, slightly wider than peduncle, non­setose; with elongate tooth between eye and antennal peduncle.

Antennule: Basal segment with distolateral spine, shorter distodorsal spine and small distoventral spine.

Antenna: Basal segment of peduncle with blunt distolateral and distomedial processes. Second segment with blunt distolateral and distomedial tooth. Remaining segment unarmed.

Maxilliped 3: Dactylus and propodus unarmed. Carpus with 3–4 small teeth or acute tubercles. Merus extensor margin with distal tooth and several smaller teeth; flexor margin with 4 teeth, proximal largest.

Epipods: Pereopods 1–3 with epipod. Pereopod 4 without epipod.

Pereopod 1 (cheliped): Slender; sparsely setose and rugose. Propodus squamose and coarsely tuberculate dorsally; palm about 4 times as long as high; dorsal margin of palm longer than dactylus. Pollex and dactylus without gape; occlusal margins crenulate; distally ‘hollowed’on internal margin. Carpus and merus with dorsal and ventral spines distally; surfaces squamous and coarsely tuberculate; dorsal margins spinous. Ischium with dorsal distal spine; surface tuberculate. Pereopod 2–4: Sparsely setose; slightly decreasing in length posteriorly. Merus coarsely tuberculate; extensor and flexor margins with flattened distal tooth; subtriangular in cross­section. Carpus with 3 coarsely tuberculate carinae, with distal extensor spine. Propodus coarsely tuberculate; distal flexor margin with paired movable spines; quadrate in cross­section. Dactylus with 15–17 small movable spines on flexor margin.

Etymology. Named proales (Greek), meaning overhanging, alluding to the upright, overhanging squamae that ornament the dorsum of the species.

Remarks. Unfortunately, the rostrum in the single specimen of Munidopsis proales n. sp. is missing. All other features, however, are intact allowing its recognition as a new species. Munidopsis proales most closely resembles Ms. tasmaniae, sharing similar carapace shape and ornamentation, and epipods on the pereopods 1–3; distinguishing features are outlined under the account of the latter.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, off Cape Arid, Western Australia; 513– 540 m.