New records of the squat lobster genus Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1874 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Munidopsidae) from the deep sea off Taiwan.

Two species of the squat lobster family Munidopsidae, Munidopsisalbatrossae Pequegnat & Pequegnat, 1973 and M.pycnopoda Baba, 2005, are reported from Taiwan for the first time based on specimens collected from lower bathyal depths. The Taiwanese material of M.pycnopoda also represents the first record of the species from the Pacific Ocean and greatly extends this species' geographical range from the western Indian Ocean to western Pacific. The giant Munidopsis specimen from Taiwan is identified as M.albatrossae mainly by DNA barcoding even though M.albatrossae and M.aries (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) are both morphologically and genetically extremely similar.

Novel gene re-arrangement in the mitochondrial genome of Pisidiaserratifrons (Anomura, Galatheoidea, Porcellanidae) and phylogenetic associations in Anomura.

To improve the taxonomy and systematics of Porcellanidae within the evolution of Anomura, we describe the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) sequence of Pisidiaserratifrons, which is 15,344 bp in size, contains the entire set of 37 genes and has an AT-rich region. Compared with the pancrustacean ground pattern, at least five gene clusters (or genes) are significantly different with the typical genes, involving eleven tRNA genes and four PCGs and the tandem duplication/random loss and recombination models were used to explain the observed large-scale gene re-arrangements. The phylogenetic results showed that all Porcellanidae species clustered together as a group with well nodal support. Most Anomura superfamilies were found to be monophyletic, except Paguroidea. Divergence time estimation implies that the age of Anomura is over 225 MYA, dating back to at least the late Triassic. Most of the extant superfamilies and families arose during the late Cretaceous to early Tertiary. In general, the results obtained in this study will contribute to a better understanding of gene re-arrangements in Porcellanidae mitogenomes and provide new insights into the phylogeny of Anomura.

A new squat lobster species of the genus Munida Leach, 1820 (Crustacea: Anomura: Galatheoidea: Munididae) from hydrothermal vents on the Eastern Pacific Rise.

A new species of the genus Munida Leach, 1820, is described and illustrated based on a single specimen from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent on the Eastern Pacific Rise. Munida alba sp. nov. closely resembles M. ampliantennulata Komai, 2011, M. watatsumin Komai, 2014. and M. magniantennulata, but differences in the morphologies of the third maxilliped, pollex of the cheliped and the third segment of the antennal peduncle readily distinguish the new species from the three relatives. The new species is the fourth of the genus occurring at the hydrothermal vent areas.

Revision of the squat lobsters of the genus Leiogalathea Baba, 1969 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Munidopsidae) with the description of 15 new species.

The genus Leiogalathea Baba, 1969 currently contains only two benthic species both occurring on the continental shelves and slope: L. laevirostris (Balss, 1913), widely reported in the Indo-Pacific region, and L. agassizii (A. Milne Edwards, 1880), from both sides of the Central Atlantic. A certain degree of morphological variability linked to their geographic distributions was previously noticed, mostly in L. laevirostris. In the present study, we revise numerous specimens collected from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, analysing morphological and molecular characters (COI and 16S rRNA). We found 15 new species; all of them are distinguished from L. laevirostris and L. agassizii by subtle but constant morphological differences and show clear genetic separation. Furthermore, L. imperialis (Miyake Baba, 1967), previously synonymized with L. laevirostris, was found to be a valid species. All species are described and illustrated. Species of the genus Leiogalathea are morphologically distinguishable on the basis of the spinulation of the carapace, the shape and the armature of the rostrum, the shape of the propodi of the walking legs, and the pattern of the setae covering on rostrum, carapace and chelae. Some species are barely discernible on the basis of these characters but are highly divergent genetically.

Three new species of squat lobsters of the genus Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1874, from Guadeloupe Island, Caribbean Sea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Munidopsidae).

The genus Munidopsis is one of the most diverse genera within squat lobsters. Here, three new species of Munidopsis, M. cornuata n. sp., M. senticosa n. sp., and M. turgida n. sp., from <500 m off Guadeloupe Island (Caribbean Sea), are fully described and illustrated. Among the Atlantic species of the genus, M. cornuata n. sp. belongs to the group of species having the dorsal surface of the carapace with spines and is most similar to M. robusta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880), from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Munidopsis senticosa n. sp. resembles M. barbarae (Boone, 1927) from the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico and M. penescabra Pequegnat Williams 1995, from off Georgia and Gulf of Mexico; the three species belong to the group having the carapace covered with sharp spines. Finally, M. turgida n. sp. is characterized by having the dorsal surface of the carapace, abdomen and pereiopods covered by granules; and resembles M. granulens Mayo, 1972, from NW Caribbean Sea. Apart from the morphological evidence, the analysis of mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S) supports establishing these new species, showing very high genetic divergences compared to their congeners (from 14.5 to 17% for COI, and 7.7 to 12.8% for 16S data).

The complete mitogenome of the porcelain crab Petrolisthes haswelli Miers, 1884 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura).

The mitochondrial genome sequence of the porcellanid crab, Petrolisthes haswelli is provided, making it the second for the family Porcellanidae and the third for the superfamily Galatheoidea. Petrolisthes haswelli has a mitogenome of 15,348 bp consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal subunit genes, 22 transfer RNAs and a non-coding AT-rich region. The base composition of the P. haswelli mitogenome is 35.66% for T, 18.65% for C, 34.35% for A and 11.34% for G, with an AT bias of 70.01%. The mitogenome gene order is identical to the mitogenome of Neopetrolisthes maculatus, the only other species of the family with a sequenced mitogenome.

The complete mitochondrial genome of squat lobster, Munida gregaria (Anomura, Galatheoidea, Munididae).

We determined the mitogenome sequence of Munida gregaria (Fabricius 1793) (Anomura, Galatheoidea, Munididae), which is the first complete mitogenome sequence in the family Munididae Ahyong et al., 2010. The mitogenome of M. gregaria is 16 326 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and two control regions (CRs). Mitogenome analysis of M. gregaria showed an extra copy of the CR and rearrangements of two PCGs (nad2 and nad3) compared to the arthropod ground pattern. Additionally, it contains a tRNA (trnY) inversion and rearrangements of two PCGs (nad1 and nad3) when compared with that of Neopetrolisthes maculatus and Shinkaia crosnieri, respectively. The phylogenetic tree confirmed that M. gregaria belongs to the superfamily Galatheoidea within Anomura. Our results will be useful for the detailed study of mitogenome evolution and the phylogenetic relationships among the superfamily in the infraorder Anomura.

Evolutionary morphology of the organ systems in squat lobsters and porcelain crabs (crustacea: Decapoda: Anomala): an insight into carcinization.

Porcelain crabs (Porcellanidae) are one of three taxa within anomuran crustaceans (Anomala) which possess a crab-like body form. Curiously, these three lineages evolved this shape independently from true crabs (Brachyura) in the course of the evolutionary process termed carcinization. The entire pleon in porcelain crabs is flexed under the cephalothorax and the carapace is approximately as broad as long. Despite their crab-like habitus, porcelain crabs are phylogenetically nested within squat lobsters (Munidopsidae, Munididae, Galatheidae). With a pleon which is only partly flexed under the cephalothorax and a cephalothorax which is longer than it is broad, squat lobsters represent morphologically intermediate forms between lobster-like and crab-like body shapes. Carcinization has so far mostly been studied with respect to outer morphology; however, it is evident that internal anatomical features are influenced through this change of body shape too. In this paper, the situation in Galatheoidea is elucidated by adding more taxa to existing descriptions of the hemolymph vascular systems and associated structures and organs. Micro-computer tomography and 3D reconstruction provide new insights. Autapomorphic states of various internal anatomical characters are present in nearly all the studied species, also reflecting some degree of anatomical disparity found within Galatheoidea. The ventral vessel system of porcelain crabs differs distinctly from that of squat lobsters. The differences in question are coherent (i.e. structural dependent) with morphological transformations in the integument, such as the shortening of the sternal plastron, which evolved in the course of carcinization. Shifts in the gonads and the pleonal neuromeres are coherent with the loss of the caridoid escape reaction, which in turn is a consequence of carcinization. The arterial transformations, however, are minor compared to other instances of carcinization in anomuran crustaceans since the last common ancestor of squat lobsters and porcelain crabs was already "half carcinized".

Afinidades biogeográficas de los galateoideos (Decapoda: Anomura) del Caribe y Pacífico colombiano / Biogeographical affinities of Colombian Caribbean and Pacific galateoids (Decapoda: Anomura)

Objetivo. Determinar la distribución y afinidades biogeográficas de los galateoideos de aguas colombianas con base en la literatura y muestras recolectadas durante expediciones realizadas entre 1999 y 2002. Materiales y métodos. Se recolectaron ejemplares en 100 estaciones entre 20 y 550 m de profundidad en el Caribe y Pacífico colombiano. El material recolectado, junto con la información geográfica existente en literatura para las especies conocidas para Colombia se emplearon para realizar mapas de distribución, los cuales se compararon con el “Mapa de ecorregiones marinas del mundo”. Resultados. Se obtuvo la información geográfica para 3247 ejemplares recolectados de 18 especies de los géneros Agononida, Anomoeomunida, Munida, Munidoposis y Pleuroncodes, y se complementó con la obtenida a partir de la literatura para las 40 especies de la superfamilia con presencia conocida en aguas colombianas. Se generaron cinco grupos principales de distribución: especies restringidas al Caribe, al Caribe y Atlántico occidental, Anfiatlánticas, restringidas al Pacífico oriental y Anfiamericanas. Se encontró que el 53 % de las especies recolectadas en el Caribe se presentan también en la provincia Atlántico Norte Cálido-Templado, y para el Océano Pacífico la mayor afinidad se da con la provincia Pacífico Oriental Tropical. Conclusiones. Los galateoideos en aguas colombianas presentan ámbitos geográficos y batimétricos amplios, presentándose simpatría entre algunas especies. Las de aguas someras presentan mayores restricciones que aquellas de distribución en aguas profundas. Los mecanismos de distribución de las especies corresponden con el ciclo de vida de cada una y las corrientes predominantes en las provincias.