Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Aora hircosa Myers & Moore, 1983: 176, figs 2, 12, 13.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 6.0 mm, NMV J1324. PARATYPES: 7 males, 18 females, 1 immature, NMV.

Type locality. Tinderbox, south-eastern Tasmania, in marine algae.

Description. Based on Myers & Moore, 1983:176, figs 2, 12, 13 [Tinderbox, Tasmania].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate or apically round, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. Antenna 2 with few long setae. Labium with fine setae and stout setae. 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 distinctly produced anterodistally, acute; basis slender, much less than half 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 greatly elongated, as long as or longer than elongate carpus, distally free, produced along posterior margin of carpus, curved, apically acute, posterior margin with dense rows of setae; carpus one and one third to one and one half 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 subequal in length to carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present or palm absent, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin entire, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner or corner undefined, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; 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.

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 one and one half times length of peduncle.

Habitat. Algae.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Victoria: Westernport (Myers & Moore, 1983). Tasmania: Fancy Point; Tinderbox (Myers & Moore, 1983).

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

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 coxa distinctly produced anterodistally, sub-acute, or distinctly produced anterodistally, rounded; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent, without posterodistal spine; carpus two thirds length of propodus; propodus longer than carpus, palm present. Gnathopod 2 palm with robust seta(e) defining 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