Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Bemlos ephippium Myers, 1988b: 275, figs 7-10.

Bemlos ephippium disjuncta Myers, 1988b: 278, fig. 10.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 2.8 mm, AM P37407. PARATYPES: 2 females, AM P37408; 1 male, AM P37409.

Type locality. Lizard Island, Queensland, rubble from depressions in crest of patch reef in lagoon, 1.5 to 2.5 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 275, figs 7-9 [Lizard Island, Queensland].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin moderately excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. 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 without strong flange on anterior margin. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate or widest medially, 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 or apically rounded. 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 sparse setae or setae absent, 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, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus less than half length of propodus, fitting 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 less 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, rami subequal, inner ramus subequal with length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Rubble, algal turf, Ecklonia radiata holdfasts, Sargassum sp., Jania.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Remarks. Myers (1988) established a subspecies, Bemlos ephippium disjuncta, which differs from Bemlos ephippium ephippium in pigment pattern only. We do not separate them in this study, but the distinctive colour patterns are illustrated. Bemlos ephippium is distinguished from all other known Australian species of Bemlos by the dense dorsal pigment bars.

Distribution. Queensland: Lizard Island (Myers, 1988b). New South Wales: Byron Bay; Woolgoolga (Myers, 1988b). Western Australia: Kalbarri; Ned's Camp (Myers, 1988b).

Geographic areas. North-eastern Australia, or South-eastern Australia, or North-western Australia.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 carpus two thirds length of propodus; palm defined by subquadrate corner; significantly overlapping palm.

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).

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