Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991: 319, figs 1-4.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 2.93 mm, NMV J20493. PARATYPES: male, 2.63 mm, USNM 253542; female, 3.25 mm and one other unsexed and unmeasured specimen, USNM 253541.

Type locality. Orpheus Island, Queensland, grey carbonate sand with fine algal strands on surface, 4 m depth.

Description. Based on Thomas & Barnard, 1991: 319, figs 1-4 [Orpheus Island, Queensland].

Head. Rostrum present, well developed (?); Lateral cephalic lobes apically acute, anteroventral margin shallowly 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 only. Maxilla 1 inner plate without setae (?). Maxilliped basis without strong flange on anterior margin. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate, mandible palp posterior margin setae of more than two distinct lengths.

Peraeon. Sternal spines present, on pereonite 1 only, minute. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in males only; coxa 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, without posterodistal spine; carpus one and one third to one and one half 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 without spines; propodus shorter than carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin forming a broad excavate 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 without flange, posterodistal margin with large 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 spine 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 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 biramous, inner ramus shorter than outer ramus, inner ramus one and one half times length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Habitat. Grey carbonate sand with fine algal strands on surface.

Depth zones. Littoral (4 m depth).

Distribution. Queensland: Orpheus Island (Thomas & Barnard, 1991).

Geographic areas. North-eastern Australia.

Peraeon. Sternal spines present (?), on pereonite 1 only (?). Gnathopod 1 basis slender, much less than half as broad as long; margin entire, palm defined by rounded or oblique corner, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus about half length of propodus, fitting palm. Gnathopod 2 without robust seta or spine defining palm.

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