Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Bemlos strigilis Myers, 1988b: 299, figs 32�34.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 4.3 mm, AM P 37431. PARATYPES: 3 males, 4 females, AM P37432; 1 female, AM P38613; 1 male, AM P38614; 2 males, AM P37433.

Type locality. Cathedral Rock, Rottnest Island, Western Australia (32�01'S 115�27'E), red algae, 6 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 299, figs 32�34 [Rottnest Island].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 accessory flagellum present and multiarticulate. 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 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, rounded; basis robust, half or more as broad as long, without a spine, anterior margin with 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 one third length of propodus, anterior margin with 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, with spine near base of dactylus, with subtriangular, apically acute 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, without robust seta or spine defining palm. Pereopod 6 basis not or weakly produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 significantly greater 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 one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Living among algae.

Depth zones. Littoral (6 to 18 m depth).

Distribution. South Australia: Kangaroo Island (Myers, 1988b); Upper Spencer Gulf (Hutchings, et al., 1993). Western Australia: Rottnest Island (Myers, 1988b); Kalbarri (Myers, 1988b).

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

Head. Mandible, palp article 3 posterior margin widest medially.

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, rounded; carpus two thirds length of propodus, anterior margin without stridulating ridges; margin entire, palm defined by subquadrate corner, without spine near base of dactylus. 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