Occurrences around the hydrothermal vents may be revised.

Galapagos Spreading Center, East Pacific Rise.

Carapace with gastric region having group of spines including two epigastric spines and some additional small spines or tubercular spines on scale-like ridges. Lateral margin having first spine (anterolateral) distinctly larger than antennal spine, directed anterolateral, second spine stronger than first. Rostrum subtriangular in proximal half, distally narrowed, slightly upcurved, dorsally carinated. Front margin oblique, antennal spine small. Abdominal segments unarmed, sixth segment having posteromedian margin slightly convex, not produced. Telson composed of 10 plates, midlateral plate produced on anterolateral margin. Ocular peduncles broad at base, distomesially with eye-spine distinctly longer than cornea; cornea relatively small, as broad as eye-spine. Fixed finger of chelipeds without denticulate carina on distolateral margin. First walking leg exceeding chelipeds; palm shorter than fixed finger, bearing a few spines along mesial margin; fingers spooned at tip. Dactyli of walking legs smoothly narrowed distally, flexor margin bearing ultimate denticle equidistant between penultimate denticle and end of article. Epipods present on chelipeds. Remarks. This species has been reported from the hydrothermal vents of the Galapagos Spreading Center under the name of M. subsquamosa HENDERSON, 1885, but it belongs to a different species, probably undescribed. A more careful examination, including molecular analyses, of the specimens from different localities will clarify the systematic status of this species.

Up to 45 mm carapace length.

Depth range based on 1246 specimens in 210 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 709 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 27 - 5346
  Temperature range (°C): 0.368 - 21.739
  Nitrate (umol/L): 3.074 - 46.534
  Salinity (PPS): 33.651 - 36.384
  Oxygen (ml/l): 0.254 - 6.690
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.196 - 3.574
  Silicate (umol/l): 1.878 - 215.449

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 27 - 5346

Temperature range (°C): 0.368 - 21.739

Nitrate (umol/L): 3.074 - 46.534

Salinity (PPS): 33.651 - 36.384

Oxygen (ml/l): 0.254 - 6.690

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.196 - 3.574

Silicate (umol/l): 1.878 - 215.449
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Breaking down wood: galatheid crab
 

The diet of galatheid crabs consists primarily of deep-sea wood falls, which they break down using grinding teeth and microbial symbionts.

   
  "Wood falls in the deep sea have recently become the focus of studies  showing their importance as nutrients on the deep-sea  floor. In such environments, Crustaceans constitute numerically  the second-largest group after Mollusks. Many questions have  arisen regarding their trophic role therein. A careful  examination of the feeding appendages, gut contents, and gut lining  of Munidopsis  andamanica caught with wood falls revealed this species  as a truly original detritivorous species using wood and the biofilm  covering  it as two main food sources. Comparing individuals from other  geographic areas from substrates not reported highlights the  galatheid crab as specialist of refractory substrates,  especially vegetal remains. M.  andamanica also exhibits a resident gut microflora  consisting of bacteria and fungi possibly involved in the digestion of  wood fragments.  The results suggest that Crustaceans could be full-fledged  actors in the food chains of sunken-wood ecosystems and that feeding  habits of some squat lobsters could be different than  scavenging" (Hoyoux et al. 2009:2421)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.

Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Munidopsis

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
                                                             

Specimen Records:	167
Specimens with Sequences:	132
Specimens with Barcodes:	127
Public Records:	49
Species:	51
Species With Barcodes:	41

Download FASTA File

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
 

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1