Reproductive biology of galatheoid and chirostyloid (Crustacea: Decapoda) squat lobsters from the Gulf of Mexico
Author
Kilgour, Morgan J.
Author
Shirley, Thomas C.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3754
4
381
419
journal article
46649
10.11646/zootaxa.3754.4.3
96aabdb2-1be6-484b-a6aa-34d046a24d01
1175-5326
229435
D6C44F9E-6EF7-411B-8C49-132AA77AB1A5
Galacantha spinosa
A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
Galacantha spinosa
was previously reported as
Munidopsis spinosa
(see
Baba
et al.
2008
) and has been reported from
French Guiana
to the Gulf of
Mexico
, with one report in Borneo, in depths of
609 to 1007 m
(Milne-
Edwards 1880
;
Chace 1942
;
Takeda 1983
; Baba 1988). Specimens were collected every month except January from the Caribbean and Gulf of
Mexico
in depths of
183 to 1071 m
. Forty-five males, 20 non-ovigerous females, and 31ovigerous females were measured; male CW ranged from 9.0 to
30.3 mm
, female CW ranged from 13.8 to 33.0 mm, and ovigerous female CW ranged from
16.8 to 33.1 mm
. Males and females were not significantly different in sizes (t-test, df
=
94, t
=
1.869, p
=
0.065), but ovigerous females were significantly larger than nonovigerous females (t-test, df
=
49, t
=
-5.907, p<0.001). Ovigerous specimens were collected in all months except January, March, September, and November (
Fig. 12
B). Females carried between four and
262 eggs
with average egg diameters between
0.92 mm
and
2.88 mm
. Fecundity was correlated with CW (R2
=
0.624, p <0.001) (
Fig. 10
B), but the average egg size was not correlated with CW (R2
=
0.0392, p
=
0.462).