Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Lembos quadrimanus Sivaprakasm, 1970b: 81, fig. 1. Lembos waipio. --Ledoyer, 1972: 200, pls 21A, 22, 24.

Lembos quadrimanus mozambicus Myers, 1975a: 359, figs 33�39.

Bemlos quadrimanus. --Myers, 1988a: 188. --Myers, 1988b: 282, fig. 14.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, ZSI.

Type locality. Appa Island, Gulf of Mannar [India].

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 282, figs 14 [Cape Range National Park, Western Australia]; Ledoyer, 1972:200, pls. 21A, 22, 24 [female, Tulear, Madagascar]; Myers, 1975:359�368, figs. 33�39.

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. 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 strongly falcate or 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 present, on other pereonites, apically acute. 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 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, with acute 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 with stout spine or spines, one spine; 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, with spine near base of dactylus, with subquadrate spine; dactylus more than half length of propodus, significantly overlapping 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 moderately to sparsely 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 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 one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Among algae, sponges and coral.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Western Australia: Ned's Camp, Cape Range National Park (Myers, 1988b).

Geographic areas. North-western Australia.

Extrinsic distribution. East Africa; Madagascar; India.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, rounded; carpus two thirds length of propodus; margin entire, palm defined by subquadrate corner or defined by rounded or oblique corner, with robust seta defining palm; dactylus about half length of propodus. Gnathopod 2 basis anterodistal margin without flange.

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