Mediterranean Amphipoda: Aoridae

R. King & A.A. Myers

Unciolella lunata Chevreux, 1911: 264, fig. 16; pl. 20, figs. 5-16. --Myers, 1982a: 157-158, fig. 105.

Type material. Single specimen.

Type locality. Annaba, Algeria.

Description. Based on Chevreux, 1911: 264, fig. 16; pl. 20, figs. 5-16. --Myers, 1982a: 157-158, fig. 105.

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically round, anteroventral margin moderately excavate, moderately recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and with one long and one rudimentary article. Antenna 2 with few 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 subequal to 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate (?), mandible palp posterior margin setae of more than two distinct lengths.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, rounded; 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 subequal in length with 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, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin entire, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner or corner undefined, 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 subequal with or shorter than propodus, anterior margin not lobate, moderately to sparsely setiferous; propodus densely setose. 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 without distoventral interramal spine or with vestigial spine. Uropod 3 uniramous, inner ramus subequal with length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. On coralline bottom.

Depth zones. Continental shelf.

Remarks. Found at 60 metres.

Distribution. Mediterranean Sea.

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