Munida endeavourae Ahyong & Poore 2004, n. sp.

Munida endeavourae n. sp. (Fig. 5)

Munida microps. — Haig, 1973: 271–273, fig. 1 [part, larger specimen only]. — Davie, 2002: 65 [part]. [Not M. microps Alcock, 1894].

Type material. HOLOTYPE: AM E3142, male (24.0 mm), 51 km SE of Green Cape, New South Wales, 37°30’S, 150°33’E, 860 m, FIS Endeavour, 2 Oct 1912. PARATYPES: NMV J17074, 2 males (12.9–22.6 mm), S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°19.6’S, 149°24.3’E, 930 m, rock, rubble clay, sand, SLOPE 33, M. Gomon et al., 23 Jul 1986; NMV J23881, 1 female (10.8 mm), S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°19.6’S, 149°24.3’E, 930 m, rock, rubble clay, sand, SLOPE 33, M. Gomon et al., 23 Jul 1986; NMV J17097, 2 females (9.0– 9.2 mm), S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°19.6’S, 149°24.3’E, 930 m, rock, rubble clay, sand, SLOPE 33, M. Gomon et al., 23 Jul 1986; NMV J17084, 1 ovigerous female (not measured), S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°25.00’S, 149°0.00’E, 1500 m, compacted clay, epibenthic sled, SLOPE 27, G. Poore et al., 22 Jul 1986; NMV J16030, 4 females (14.5–20.4 mm), S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°21.90’S, 149°20.00’E, 1000 m, epibenthic sled, SLOPE 32, G. Poore et al., 23 Jul 1986; NMV J52073, 1 female (21.4 mm), Victoria, 38°27.64’S, 149°31.58’E, 1500 m, SS01/00/154, 17 Apr 2000; NMV J17075, 2 males (15.4–26.0 mm), 1 ovigerous female (15.0 mm), 63 km S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 38°22.61’S, 149°20.20’E, 1169 m, beam trawl, G. Poore et al., 25 Oct 1988; NMV J52074, 1 male (11.8 mm), Victoria, 38°20.24’S, 149°38.53’E, 1000 m, SS01/00/ 152, 17 Apr 2000; SAM C6076, 1 male (19.5 mm), 91 km NW of Currie Harbour, Tasmania, 39°43.09’S, 143°00.57’E, 1135 m, 5 Mar 1989; SAM C6075, 1 male (26.2 mm), 79 km SE of South East Cape, Tasmania, 44°09.2’S, 147°31.8’E, 970–1120 m, FV Belinda, K. Gowlett­Holmes, 1 Feb 1992.

Other material. NMV J41571 –41590, J41619 –41622, J52080, 110 specimens, seamounts SSE of South East Cape, Tasmania, 620–1700 m; NMV J52075, J52077 –52079, J52081, 15 specimens, S of Point Hicks, Victoria, 998–1608 m.

Diagnosis. Carapace with slightly oblique frontal margins; transverse striae widely spaced, mostly uninterrupted; with transverse row of 4–6 epigastric spines; with 0–3 minute spinules behind epigastric spines; with 0–1 minute parahepatic spinules, 1–3 pairs of anterior branchial and 1 or 2 pairs of postcervical spines. Rostrum spiniform. Supraocular spines divergent. Margins of carapace with 5 spines posterior to cervical groove. Fourth sternite at most with 2 or 3 short striae; fifth to seventh sternites smooth. Second tergite with row of 8–11 spines on anterior border. Remaining tergites unarmed. Eyes small, scarcely wider than stalk; with maximum corneal diameter not exceeding one­fifth basal distance between anterolateral spines. Basal antennular segment elongate, overreaching cornea; with 2 terminal spines, mesial shorter. Basal segment of antennal peduncle with strong mesial spine; second segment with mesial distal spine distinctly overreaching distal segment of peduncle; lateral distal spine distinctly overreaching penultimate segment of peduncle. Maxilliped 3 ischium with 1 or 2 small distal flexor spines; merus flexor margin with 2 or 3 spines. Cheliped slender, about three times carapace length; pollex without ventral spines. Pereopod 2–3 merus with spinose extensor and flexor margins. Pereopod 4 merus with unarmed extensor margin. Pereopods 2–4 dactylus with movable spines along entire length of flexor margin.

Description. Carapace: Transverse striae widely spaced, mostly uninterrupted; cervical groove distinct; with transverse row of 4–6 epigastric spines; with 0–3 minute spinules behind epigastric spines; with or without minute parahepatic spinule, 1–3 pairs of anterior branchial and 1 or 2 pairs of postcervical spines. Frontal margins slightly oblique; rostrum spiniform, faintly upcurved, about twice as long as supraocular spines. Supraocular spines divergent, dorsally deflected. Anterolateral spine well developed, situated at anterolateral angle, not extending to sinus between rostrum and supraocular spine. Margins of carapace anterior to cervical groove with 2 or 3 spines (including anterolateral); with 5 spines posterior to cervical groove.

Sternum: Fourth sternite at most with 2 or 3 short striae; fifth to seventh sternites smooth; ridges demarcating fourth to seventh sternites feebly granular.

Abdomen: Second tergite with row of 8–11 spines on anterior border. Remaining tergites unarmed. Second to third tergites with 1 uninterrupted transverse stria. Fourth tergite with 2 uninterrupted transverse striae.

Eye: Small, scarcely wider than stalk; with maximum corneal diameter not exceeding one­fifth basal distance between anterolateral spines.

Antennule: Basal segment of antennule elongate, overreaching cornea; with 2 terminal spines, mesial shorter; with two lateral spines, distal markedly longer than proximal.

Antenna: Basal segment of antennal peduncle with strong mesial spine. Second segment with mesial distal spine distinctly overreaching distal segment of peduncle; lateral distal spine distinctly overreaching penultimate segment of peduncle.

Maxilliped 3: Ischium with 1 or 2 small distoventral spines. Ventral margin of merus with 2 or 3 ventral spines; distal spine and proximal spine largest, median small or absent; extensor margin unarmed.

Pereopod 1 (cheliped): Slender, about three times carapace length; finely setose, and spinose. Dactylus with dorsal proximal spine; occlusal margin denticulate, with blunt proximal projection. Propodus upper and outer margin spinose; palm about five times as long as high, longer than pollex; pollex with 2 subterminal spines, occlusal margin denticulate, ventral margin unarmed. Carpus and merus with irregularly distributed spines on lateral, dorsal and mesial surfaces.

Pereopod 2: Merus extensor margin with 7–9 spines; flexor margin with 6–9 spines. Carpus with 2 or 3 extensor and 1 flexor spine. Propodus flexor margin with 8 spines. Dactylus slightly exceeding half propodus length; flexor margin with 12–14 movable spines along entire length.

Pereopod 3: Merus extensor margin with 6–8 spines; flexor margin with 5–7 spines. Carpus with 2 extensor and 1 flexor spine. Propodus flexor margin with 10 spines. Dactylus slightly exceeding half propodus length; flexor margin with 12 movable spines along entire length.

Pereopod 4: Merus extensor margin unarmed dorsally; flexor margin with 2 or 3 small spines and large distal spine. Carpus extensor and flexor margins each with distal spine. Propodus flexor margin with 6 or 7 movable spines. Dactylus about two­thirds propodus length; flexor margin with 10 or 11 movable spines along entire length.

Etymology. Named for the FIS Endeavour, from which the holotype was collected.

Remarks. Munida endeavourae n. sp. closely resembles M. microps Alcock, 1894, described from the Andaman Sea, in the small eyes, spination and ornamentation of the carapace, abdomen and walking legs. The new species differs from M. microps in lacking the strong spine on the ventral border of the pollex and in having distinctly longer terminal spines on the second antennal segment. In M. endeavourae, the mesial distal spine of the second antennal segment markedly overreaches the fourth (distal) antennal segment and the lateral distal spine distinctly overreaches the third antennal segment. Conversely, in M. microps, the mesial distal spine of the second antennal segment reaches the end of the fourth (distal) antennal segment, and the lateral distal spine does not overreach the third antennal segment. Of the known Australian species, M. endeavourae most closely resembles M. isos; characters distinguishing the two species are outlined under the account of the latter.

Haig (1973) first reported Munida endeavourae from Australia as M. microps. Munida microps reported from New Caledonia and the Philippines by Macpherson (1994) is not conspecific with either M. endeavourae or M. isos n. sp. Macpherson’s (1994) specimens differ from M. endeavourae in having a dilated cornea, from M. isos in having much longer terminal spines on the second antennal segment, and from both M. endeavourae and M. isos in having a distinct spine on the ventral margin of the pollex of the cheliped. Macpherson’s (1994) M. microps probably represents an undescribed species.

Distribution. Southeastern Australia from southeast of Green Cape to Tasmania at depths of 620–1700 m.