Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Protolembos drummondae Myers, 1988b: 317, figs 45�47.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 10 mm, NMV J14038. PARATYPES, 3 males, 3 females, NMV J13644.

Type locality. Western Port, Victoria (38�21.30'S 145�22.83'E), 6 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 317, figs 45�47 [Westernport].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate or apically round, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 2 with profuse long setae. 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; palp with wing-like flanges on anterior margin of basis, ischium and merus. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin strongly falcate or 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 absent. 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 strong flange, 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 one third 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 without spines; propodus longer than carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin forming a broad excavate sinus, palm defined by strong posterodistal spine, without robust seta defining palm, with spine near base of dactylus, with subtriangular, apically subacute or rounded spine; 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 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, outer ramus shorter than inner, inner ramus one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. On muds and sands, sometimes with Zostera.

Depth zones. Littoral (intertidal to 18 m depth).

Distribution. Victoria: Western Port, Crib Point (Myers, 1988b). South Australia: Upper Spencer Gulf (Hutchings, et al., 1993).

Geographic areas. South-eastern Australia, or Southern Australia.

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 anterodistal margin with flange weak or absent; posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent; carpus two thirds length of propodus; with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus.

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