Mediterranean Amphipoda: Aoridae

R. King & A.A. Myers

Bemlos leptocheirus (Walker, 1909)

Lembos leptocheirus Walker, 1909: 338, pl. 43, fig. 7. --Myers, 1975: 40, figs. 83-89.

Bemlos leptocheirus. --Myers, 1982a: 819-820, fig 556.

Type material. Unknown.

Type locality. Wasin, Kenya, East Africa.

Description. Myers, 1975: 40, figs. 83-89.

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, moderately recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. Antenna 2 with profuse long setae. Labium with fine setae only. 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, 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 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 two thirds 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 narrow sinus, palm defined by strong posterodistal spine, without robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; 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, densely setose; propodus densely setose, without robust seta or spine 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. Among phanerogams and algae.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean.


(Variant) Female (sexually dimorphic characters).

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 coxa distinctly produced anterodistally, sub-acute; margin entire, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner or corner undefined, with robust seta defining palm.


Cite this publication as: 'King, R. & A.A. Myers (2001 onwards). Mediterranean Amphipoda: Aoridae. Version 1: 1 September 2001. https://crustacea.net/'. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).

Index