Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Lembos clematis Moore, 1987: 778, fig. 3. Protolembos clematis. --Myers, 1988b: 321.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 8.5 mm, AM P37001. PARATYPES: 3 males, BMNH 1986:413.

Type locality. Variety Bay, outside Bruny Island, Tasmania, from Macrocystis pyrifera holdfasts, 6�8 m depth.

Description. Based on Moore, 1987: 778, fig. 3 [Bruny Island].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate or apically round, anteroventral margin moderately excavate, scarcely recessed. Labium with fine setae and stout setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 long pectinate apical seta. Maxilliped basis with 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 enlarged in males only; coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, sub-acute; 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 dense rows of setae, without posterodistal spine; carpus two thirds length of propodus, anterior margin without stridulating ridges, with long dense setae, anterior surface with no spine, without an oblique row of long setae on medial face, posterior margin without spines; propodus longer than carpus, anterior-distal margin densely clothed in long setae, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin forming a narrow sinus, palm defined by strong posterodistal spine, without robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus about 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, densely setose; propodus densely setose, palm with robust seta(e) defining palm.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin produced into a small spine. 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, rami subequal, inner ramus subequal with length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. In holdfasts of Macrocystis pyrifera.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Tasmania: Variety Bay, Bruny Island (Moore, 1987).

Geographic areas. Southern Australia.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 coxa unproduced anterodistally; posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent; with setae sparse or absent; anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, margin forming a broad excavate sinus, with robust seta defining palm; fitting palm. Gnathopod 2 moderately to sparsely setiferous; propodus moderately to sparsely setose.

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