New record of squat lobster from Indian EEZ

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca Latreille, 1802

Order: Decapoda Latreille, 1802

Family: Munididae Ahyong, Baba, Macpherson & Poore, 2010

Trapezionida latior (Baba, 2005)

Collection: Southeastern Arabian Sea, southwest of Kannur, Kerala, 11.74°N, 74.68°E, 103 m, 18.10.1999 (FORVSS 177, St. 20A), Naturalist dredge; Southeastern Arabian Sea, southwest of Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, 8.43°N, 76.70°E, 58 m, date NA (FORVSS 236, stn. 19), Naturalist’s dredge.

Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ANO/00160, IO/SS/ANO/00152, IO/SS/ANO/00159

Description: Carapace dorsal surface with 6 pairs of epigastric spines and 2 median spines, Hepatic, parahepatic, anterobranchial, postcervical regions with 1 small spine, branchial margin with 5 spines. Anterior margin of thoracic sternite 4 contiguous medially & equal to sternite 3 width; sternite 5 with 1 short, longitudinal stria laterally. Pleonal somites 2–4 with 2 elevated transverse ridges; somite 2 with 6–11 spines on anterior ridge. Antennal article 1 with distomesial spine overreaching distal margin of article 3; article 2 with distomesial spine overreaching distal margin of article 4, distolateral spine reaching distal margin of article 3. Mxp3 merus with disto-extensor spine, flexor margin with 3 spines. P2–4 propodal flexor margins with row of 11 movable spines, dactyli 0.7–0.8 times as long as propodi; flexor margin with 9 movable spines.

Biological association: None.

Remarks: New record of squat lobster from Indian EEZ

Distribution: Mauritius, Mozambique, Madagascar and Southeastern Arabian Sea. Depth range: 58–313 m.

Distribution map:

Identified by: Shivam Tiwari

Publication: Tiwari S., Padate V.P., Cubelio S.S., Osawa M. (2024) Galatheoid squat lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the epipelagic bottom of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, with descriptions of five new species. Zootaxa, 5501 (2): 291–314.