Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971

Published, First, 2009, New records of crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the New Zealand region, including a new species of Rochinia A. Milne-Edwards, 1875 (Majidae), and a revision of the genus Dromia Weber, 1795 (Dromiidae), Zootaxa 2111, pp. 1-66 : 40

publication ID	11755334
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5321388
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4F7B5056-7E49-FFDB-FF30-10716D0205AB
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971
status

Treatment

Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971 View in CoL

Fig. 19

Mursia australiensis Campbell, 1971: 31 View in CoL , pl. 2a, b, fig. 1. — Galil 1993: 355,figs 1d, 2g, h, 3e, f, 11 (colour). — Davie 2002: 128.

Material Examined. Lord Howe Rise, Capel Bank: NZOI stn I730, 1 specimen (sex unknown) 24.4 mm x 20.0 mm ( CW incl. spines 38.6 mm) , 25°32.50’S, 159°38.99’E, 300 m, 10 May 1979. This record is based on a photo of a live specimen at the time of capture: whereabouts of the specimen unknown.

Remarks. M. australiensis is easily distinguished from M. microspina by the longer lateral carapace spines (about 40% of CW, about 10% of CW in M. microspina ), the longer meral spines on the chelipeds (about 35% of CW, about 5% of CW in M. microspina ) and colour of patch on inner palm surface of chelipeds (small light red patch vs large dark red-purple patch). The present specimen came from 300 m, within the known depth range of 40– 320 m.

Distribution. Australia ( Queensland, New South Wales), New Caledonia and now Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea. Depth range 40– 320 m.