Mediterranean Amphipoda: Aoridae

R. King & A.A. Myers

Microdeutopus similis Myers, 1977b: 477, fig. 2 --Myers, 1982a: 151�152, fig. 100.

Type material. Unknown.

Type locality. Pantellaria, Sicily Strait, Italy.

Description. Myers, 1977b: 477, fig. 2; Myers, 1982a: 151�152, fig. 100. Female unknown - based on male description.

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin moderately excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles; accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. Antenna 2 with few long setae. Maxilliped basis with strong flange on anterior margin; palp with wing-like flanges on anterior margin of basis, ischium and merus. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin strongly falcate or widest medially.

Peraeon. Sternal spines present, on other pereonites, apically acute. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in males only; coxa distinctly produced anterodistally, sub-acute, or 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 not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent, without posterodistal spine; carpus twice 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, two spines, proximal the larger; propodus shorter than carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin sinuous or irregular with proximal lobe, palm absent; dactylus more than half length of propodus. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin with flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few setae along length of basis; carpus longer 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.

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 algae (Myers, 1982a).

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Mediterranean Sea.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 posterior margin without spines; palm present, without spine near base of dactylus.

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