Phylum: Arthropoda Gravenhorst, 1843
Class: Malacostraca Latreille PA, 1902
Order: Decapoda Latreille PA, 1902
Family: Munididae Ahyong, Baba, Macpherson & Poore, 2010
Trapezionida aminidivi Tiwari, Padate, & Osawa in Tiwari, Padate, Osawa, Anoop & Sebastian, 2025
Collection: Southeastern Arabian Sea, off Kerala, 9.39°N, 74.64°E, 283 m, 03.02.2024, FORVSS 402_sm1st4.
Voucher No.: CMLRE IO/SS/ANO/00190
Description: Carapace with 5 or 6 pairs of epigastric spines; 1 parahepatic, 1 anterior branchial, and 1 postcervical spines; frontal margin gently oblique; anterolateral spine not reaching sinus between rostrum and supraocular spines; branchial margin with 4 spines. Anterior margin of thoracic sternite 4 wide, contiguous to median one-third of posterior margin of sternite 3; sternite 7 with patch of numerous granules on each lateral portion extending onto posterior part of sternite 6. Pleomere tergites 2 and 3 each with 2 transverse ridges; tergite 2 with 4 pairs of small low spines on anterior ridge, posterior ridge uninterrupted, unarmed. Antennular peduncle article 1 slightly overreaching distal corneal margin; distal marginal spines unequal in size, distomesial spine shorter than disto lateral spine; lateral margin with distal spine overreaching distolateral spine. Antennal peduncle not reaching distal margin of cornea; article 1 with distomesial spine at least reaching distal margin of article 3; article 2 with distomesial spine overreaching distal margin of article 4, distolateral spine slightly overreaching distal margin of article 3, mesial margin with small spine; articles 3 and 4 unarmed. Mxp3 merus with 2 spines on flexor margin, proximal spine much larger than distal spine. P1 about 3.0 times PCL, surfaces squamose, bearing iridescent setae; merus length 5.4–6.3 times width; palm length 2.6–2.7 times width, fixed finger with 2 spines on proximal half and 2 sub terminal spines on lateral margin; dactylus slightly longer than palm, with 2 short spines proximally and subterminally on mesial margin. P2–4 dactyli 0.8–0.9 length of propodi, flexor margins each with 6–8 corneous spines on nearly entire length and slender subterminal spine closely appressed to terminal unguis.
Biological association: None.
Remarks: New species of deep-sea squat lobster from the Arabian Sea.
Distribution: Lakshadweep Sea, off Kerala, India, 283 m depth.
Distribution map:
Identified by: Shivam Tiwari.
Publication: Tiwari S, Padate VP, Osawa M, Anoop VS, Sebastian W (2026). Two new deep-sea squat lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae) from seamounts of Southeastern Arabian Sea, India. Journal of Natural History, 60(1-4), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2590014
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