Main Ref.	Rodríguez-Flores, P.C., C.A. Seid, G.W. Rouse and G. Giribet, 2023
Appearance refers to

Sex attributes

specialized organs
different appearance
different colors
remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Diagnosis	This species can be distinguished from the trifida-group (M. trifida from East Pacific, M. ahyongi and M. comarge from the West Pacific by the following characters: presence of epipods on P1-2 (vs. pereopods without epipods or only in P1) and a carapace that is as long and broad (vs. broader than long). It is closely related to M. carolinensis from the Caroline Ridge in the tropical West Pacific and M. expansa from off Florida and the Caribbean Sea but can be distinguished by the following set of characters: rostrum is spade-shaped and constricted between the eyes (vs. triangular in M. carolinensis and M. expansa); M. carolinensis and M. expansa has smaller and less dense scales on the carapace and pereopods than M. testuda; has an additional pair of spines apart from the epistomial spines, each lateral to the eyestalk and ventral to the frontal margin (vs. absent in M. carolinensis and M. expansa); has epipods on pereopods 1-2 (vs. has pereopods without epipods in M. carolinensis) (Ref. 128308).
Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Munidopsis testuda

Lateral Lines	Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No.	Dorsal
	Ventral
Spines total
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral	Attributes
	spines
	soft-rays
Pelvics	Attributes
	Position
	spines
	soft-rays