Babamunida kanaloa Schnabel, Martin & Moffitt 2009

Base colour pale orange to cream on carapace, cream or white on appendages. Carapace with bright red markings in gastric, cardiac and branchial regions and tips of spines. Rostrum light red along distal half. Supraocular spines almost entirely red. Abdominal segments with 1 entire band of red along anterior margins of segments just behind anterior segment border (which is white). Pereopod 1 with red spot distodorsally on carpus and with 2 dorsolateral patches on palm (median of which is star-shaped); fingers with 2 red bands on each finger. Pereopods P2-4 with red bands on meri, carpi and propodi. Antennal flagellum dark red along entire length. Observations, and frequently images, of this species have been recorded on several manned submersible dives conducted by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory throughout the Hawaiian chain and at Johnston Atoll. This species has been observed to reside singly in small pockets and crevices on limestone substrates at depths of 145-272 m. They have been seen to leave their shelters to grab bait deployed by the submersible and to avoid collection by the submersible?s suction device. In both cases they have moved rapidly to nearby holes, not always the original, rather than remain out in the open.

Type data: holotype, male, LACM CR 2006-014.21. Type Locality: French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Ocean, 23°42.72'N, 166°21.12'W, 255-236 m.

Dorsal surface of carapace with numerous small spines, with moderately dense striae; anterolateral spine not reaching the level of the sinus between rostral and supraocular spines. Antennular basal article with distomesial spine as long as distolateral spine. Cheliped fingers less than 2 times as long as palm. Pereopods 2-4 propodi extensor margin furnished on the entire length with spines including short rows of minute spines between the large dorsal spines.

Hawaiian Archipelago and Johnston Atoll. The holotype from French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, 236-255 m is the only specimen collected to date.

Delta keys for squat lobsters, including Babamunida kanaloa are available at http://researchdata.museum.vic.gov.au/squatlobster/delta/deltakey.htm