Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Paraorides unistilus Stebbing, 1910: 606, pl. liii.

Type material. Unknown.

Type locality. Off Manning River, New South Wales.

Description. Based on Stebbing, 1910: 606, pl. 53 [off Manning River].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate or apically round, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 1 flagellum with 20 or less articles. Antenna 2 with few long setae. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate or widest medially.

Peraeon. 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 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; carpus two thirds length of propodus or 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 or 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, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus about half length of propodus, fitting palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin without 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, without robust seta or spine defining palm.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 biramous, rami rami subequal, peduncle slightly longer than broad, distoventral interramal spine longer 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. Fine grey sand.

Depth zones. Continental shelf.

Distribution. New South Wales: off Manning River (Stebbing, 1910).

Geographic areas. South-eastern Australia.

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 without posterodistal spine; carpus subequal in length with propodus or one and one third to one and one half length of propodus; propodus shorter than carpus or subequal in length to carpus, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner or corner undefined; significantly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 carpus subequal with or shorter than propodus.

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