Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Melita festiva (Chilton, 1884)

Moera festiva Chilton, 1884: 1037, pl. 46, fig. 2. --Stebbing, 1910a: 642.

Moera rubromaculata Haswell, 1885: 105 (in part).

Ceradocus rubromaculata Della Valle, 1893: 720 (in part). --Stebbing, 1906: 430, 732 (in part).

Melita festiva. --Chilton, 1916b: 359, figs 1-2. --Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 665.

Type material. SYNTYPES: CMNZ.

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

Description. Based on male, 10.4 mm, AM P18120 and ovigerous female, 4.6 mm, AM P55022. Head lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner subquadrate. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 not geniculate with article 2, shorter than article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 31 articles (+); accessory flagellum with 5-6 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5; flagellum with 13 articles. Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 rectolinear, setose on distomedial margin, longer than article 1, article 2 subequal to article 3, article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about twice as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with setae mainly terminal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; coxa anteroventral corner produced, rounded, coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal tooth; carpus about 3 x as long as broad; propodus without anterodistal projection, posterodistal margin not swollen, palm nearly transverse, convex, defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate; left and right gnathopods subequal in size; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with subquadrate posteroventral corner; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, setose, palm acute, straight, smooth, without robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner; dactylus closing along palm, not reaching end of palm, apically acute/subacute. Peraeopod 5 basis posterior margin straight. Peraeopod 5 basis posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin not produced ventrally. Peraeopod 6 basis posterior margin straight. Peraeopod 6 basis posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. 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 with small acute spine, 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, with two groups of 1-3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with basofacial robust seta, without distoventral spur. Uropod 3 greatly exceeding uropods 1 and 2; inner ramus scale-like, much shorter than outer ramus; outer ramus long (more than 1.6 x longer than peduncle), 2-articulate. Telson cleft. Telson without robust setae on inner margins. Telson each lobe with 2 apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Habitat. Marine; rock platform.

Depth zone. Littoral (0 to 9 m).

Distribution. New South Wales: Port Jackson (Chilton, 1884); Coogee (AM); Murrumbulga Point, Twofold Bay (AM).

Extrinsic distribution. Rangitoto Reef, Auckland, New Zealand.

Australian geographic areas. South-eastern Australia.

Pereon. Gnathopod 2 merus with sharp posteroventral tooth; carpus long; concave, lined with robust setae; reaching end of palm, apically truncated, hammer-like. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, bilobate.

Pleon. Habitat. intertidal and subtidal rock platforms.

Distribution. New South Wales: Port Jackson (Chilton, 1884); Coogee (AM); Murrumbulga Point, Twofold Bay (AM).

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'.