Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

J.K. Lowry, P.B. Berents & R.T. Springthorpe

Bemlos bidens Myers, 1988b: 293, figs 24-25.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 3.9 mm, AM P37430.

Type locality. Great Detached Reef, near Raine Island, Queensland (11º43'S,144º03'E), reef flat, 10 metres behind seaward face, 1-2 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 293, figs 24-25 [Raine Island].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Labium with fine setae and stout setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 long pectinate apical seta. Maxilliped basis without strong flange on anterior margin. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate, mandible palp posterior margin with setae of two distinct lengths, long setae and an understory of much shorter regularly spaced setae.

Peraeon. Sternal spines present, on other pereonites, apically acute. Gnathopod 1 coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, rounded; basis robust, half or more as broad as long, without a spine, anterior margin without stridulating ridges, posterodistal margin with setae sparse or absent, anterodistal margin with flange weak or absent, with a weak distomedial lobe or absent; ischium anterior margin without flange, posterior margin with setae sparse or absent; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent, with acute posterodistal spine; carpus two thirds length of propodus, anterior margin without stridulating ridges, with setae sparse or absent, anterior surface with no spine, without an oblique row of long setae on medial face, posterior margin with stout spine or spines, one spine; propodus longer than carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin entire, palm defined by subquadrate corner, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus more than half length of propodus, significantly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin without flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few setae along length of basis; carpus subequal with or shorter than propodus, anterior margin not lobate, moderately to sparsely setiferous; propodus moderately to sparsely setose, palm with robust seta(e) defining palm. Pereopod 6 basis not or weakly produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 significantly greater than 125% length of pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 biramous, rami rami subequal, peduncle much longer than broad, distoventral interramal spine shorter than peduncle. Uropod 2 peduncle with distoventral interramal spine. Uropod 3 biramous, inner ramus one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Reef flat.

Depth zones. Littoral (10 m depth).

Remarks. Female not known.

Distribution. Queensland: Great Detached Reef, near Raine Island, Great Barrier Reef (Myers, 1988b).

Geographic areas. North-eastern Australia.

Cite this publication as: 'J.K. Lowry, P.B. Berents & R.T. Springthorpe (2001 onwards). Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae. Version 1: 2 October 2000. https://crustacea.net/'. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).

Index