Munidopsis is a genus of squat lobster. It is the second largest of all the genera of squat lobsters, after Munida, with over 200 species. Its members are mainly found on continental slopes and on abyssal plains. A few fossil species are also known, including specimens from the Campanian (Cretaceous).
Diversity There are currently over 230 known species.
Distribution Munidopsis, like other squat lobsters, are often found in chemosynthetic environments in the ocean.
Munidopsis was the first confirmed genus to inhabit the underwater Mud volcano habitat.
Most Munidopsis species are found in the deep sea at depths more than 5300m.
In 2022, during surveys of the wreck of the Endurance, a squat lobster believed to be an unidentified species in the Munidopsis genus was observed.
Historical significance The genus Munidopsis dates back to the Eocene and Upper Cretaceous of Antarctica.
Species The described living species are as follows:Türkay, M. (2012). Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1874. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=106836 on 2013-01-09
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