Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Parapherusa crassipes (Haswell, 1879)

Harmomia crassipes. Haswell, 1879b: 330, pl. 19, fig. 3. --Haswell, 1882: 251. --Chilton, 1883: 82, pl. 2, fig. 5. --Chilton, 1884: 1044. --Haswell, 1886: 106, pl. 16, fig. 9. --Thomson & Chilton, 1886: 147. --? Thomson, 1889: 261. --Della Valle, 1893: 442.

Parapherusa crassipes. --Stebbing, 1906: 383. --Chilton, 1909: 630. --Stebbing, 1910a: 641. --Chilton, 1916a: 201, pls 8-10. --Chilton, 1920: 6. --Sheard, 1937: 23. --Stephensen, 1949: 18, figs 7-8. --Mcnae, 1953: 1026. --J.L. Barnard, 1972b: 122, figs 67a-g. --Lowry, 1974: 125. --Fenwick, 1976: 2. --Lowry & Bullock, 1976: 62. --Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 635. --Lowry & Fenwick, 1983: 237.

Type material. SYNTYPES (probable): 2 specimens, G5394; 1 specimen, P3467.

Type locality. Clark Island, Port Jackson, New South Wales (33º 51'S 151º 16'E).

Description. Based on Chilton, 1916a: 201, pls 8-10. Head lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, lacking notch or slit, anteroventral corner rounded. Antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2 (slightly); peduncular article 1 not geniculate with article 2, subequal in length to article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 20 articles (about); accessory flagellum with 10 articles (about). Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5; flagellum with 17 articles (about). Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 slightly falcate, setose along concave medial margin, longer than article 1, article 2 longer than article 3 or article 2 subequal to article 3, article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about twice as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate setose along entire inner margin.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 sexually dimorphic; coxa anteroventral corner not produced, coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal tooth; carpus about 2 x as long as broad; propodus without anterodistal projection, posterodistal margin not swollen, palm extremely acute, concave, defined by posterodistal corner, without posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate; left and right gnathopods subequal in size; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with sharp posteroventral tooth; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, without strong concentration of setae, palm nearly transverse, straight, sculptured, without robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral tooth; dactylus closing along palm, reaching end of palm, apically acute/subacute. Peraeopod 6 propodus not expanded posterodistally. Peraeopod 7 basis posterior margin convex (slighlty). Peraeopod 7 basis with posterior margin smooth or minutely castelloserrate, posteroventral corner insignificant. Peraeopod 7 propodus not expanded posterodistally.

Pleon. Pleonite 1 without dorsal serrations, without dorsodistal spines, not dorsally bicarinate. Pleonite 2 without dorsal serrations, without dorsodistal spines, not dorsally bicarinate. Pleonite 3 without dorsal serrations, without dorsodistal spines, dorsally smooth. Epimeron 1 anteroventral corner without curved spine. Epimera 1-2 posteroventral margin without spines above posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner subquadrate, posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 without dorsal carina, without a small dorsal hump, without dorsal serrations, without spines or gape, not dorsally bicarinate. Urosomite 1 without posterodorsal spine. Urosomite 2 posterior margin smooth, without dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle without basofacial robust seta, with distoventral spur. Uropod 3 subequal or slightly exceeding length of uropods 1 and 2; inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus short (shorter than or subequal to peducle), 1-articulate. Telson entire.

Habitat. Marine; common in the low intertidal among algae and sponges.

Depth zone. Littoral.

Distribution. New South Wales: Port Jackson (Haswell, 1879); Brisbane Waters (AM). Victoria: Seal Islands, Victoria (AM).

Extrinsic distribution. New Zealand; Tristan da Cunha.

Australian geographic areas. South-eastern Australia.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 palm acute, convex, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 merus with subquadrate posteroventral corner; carpus short; palm acute, convex (slightly), with sparse robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner.

Cite this publication as: 'J.K. Lowry, P.B Berents & R.T. Springthorpe (2000 onwards). Australian Amphipoda: Melitae Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification and Information Retrieval. Version: 2 October 2000. https://crustacea.net'.