Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Bemlos gilgi Myers, 1988b: 310, figs 40�41.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 6.2 mm, NMV J14034. PARATYPES: 22 males, 26 females, NMV J13704.

Type locality. Eastern Bass Strait (39�41.7'S 148�39.5'E), muddy sand, 115 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 310, figs 40�41 [Bass Strait].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate or apically round, anteroventral margin moderately excavate, moderately 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 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 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 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, 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 (shallow), palm defined by subquadrate corner, with robust seta defining palm, with spine near base of dactylus, with subtriangular, apically subacute or rounded spine (small); 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, 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 subequal with length of peduncle.

Habitat. Muddy sand.

Depth zones. Continental shelf (73 � 115 m).

Distribution. Bass Strait (Myers, 1988b).

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

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 anterodistal margin with strong flange; carpus two thirds length of propodus; margin entire, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner; fitting 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).

Index