Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Lembos excavatus Myers, 1975b: 32, figs. 76-82. --Ledoyer, 1982: 218, figs 104-105 (in part).

Lembos processifera. --Ledoyer, 1984: 35 (in part), fig. 16 ('forme 2').

Lembos (Globosolembos) excavatus. --Myers, 1985a: 363, fig. 234.

Globosolembos excavatus. --Myers, 1986: 285, figs 11-12. --Myers, 1988b: 329.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 3.00 mm, MV. PARATYPE: female, 3.0 mm.

Type locality. Watamu Bay, Kenya, coral rock, 1 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1975: 32, figs 76-82 [Watamu Bay, Kenya; Pangavini Island, Tanzania]; Myers, 1985: 363-365, fig. 234 [Lizard Island].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin moderately 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 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 both sexes; coxa unproduced anterodistally; 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 subquadrate corner, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus about half length of propodus, fitting palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin with flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few setae along length of basis; carpus longer than propodus, anterior margin not lobate, densely setose; propodus densely 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 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, outer ramus shorter than inner, inner ramus one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Coral rubble.

Depth zones. Littoral (low water mark to 6 m depth).

Distribution. Queensland: Lizard Island (Myers, 1988b); Heron Island (Myers, 1988b).

Geographic areas. North-eastern Australia.

Extrinsic distribution. East Africa; Madagascar; New Caledonia; Tonga.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 carpus two thirds length of propodus; margin entire. Gnathopod 2 basis anterodistal margin without flange; carpus subequal with or shorter than propodus, 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