New species of deep-sea squat lobsters (Decapoda: Anomura: Galatheoidea) from Guadeloupe, French West Indies, unveiled through integrative taxonomy

Abstract

AbstractDuring two deep-sea expeditions off the island of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, several specimens belonging to MunidaLeach, 1820 and MunidopsisWhiteaves, 1874 (Galatheoidea) were collected. Further study, integrating morphological and molecular data, indicated that some of the specimens belonged to three undescribed species, one to Munida and two to Munidopsis. Munida anteaen. sp. is morphologically closely related to the Atlantic species M. microphthalma A. Milne-Edwards, 1880. Both species can be easily distinguished morphologically and represent independent evolutionary lineages. The closest relative to Munidopsis balconin. sp. is M. glabraPequegnat & Williams, 1995 from the Gulf of Mexico. They can be distinguished by the armature of the carapace and pereiopods, among other differences. Munidopsis pholidotan. sp. is sister to M. squamosa (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880) and both are considered cryptic species, distinguished only by molecular characters and subtle morphological differences like the number of epipodites. Our phylogenetic results show some monophyletic groups within Munidopsis and Munida, and the existence of morphological convergences.