Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Elasmopus menurte J.L. Barnard, 1974

Elasmopus menurte J.L. Barnard, 1974: 21, figs 14-15. --Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 628.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 10.2 mm, WAM 129-71.

Type locality. West of Bunker Bay, Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, intertidal algae and rocks.

Description. Based on Barnard, 1974: 21, figs 14-15. 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, subequal in length to article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 26 articles; accessory flagellum with 4 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5; flagellum with 9 articles. Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 strongly falcate, setose along concave medial margin, longer than article 1, article 2 shorter than article 3, article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; coxa anteroventral corner produced, rounded, 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 acute, 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 sharp posteroventral tooth; carpus compressed; propodus with medial depression, with strong setal bunch, palm acute, sinusoidal, smooth, with group of anterodistal robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner; dactylus closing along palm, not reaching end of palm, apically acute/subacute. Peraeopod 5 basis posterior margin straight, or convex. Peraeopod 5 basis posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, rounded. Peraeopod 6 basis posterior margin convex. Peraeopod 6 basis posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Peraeopod 6 propodus not expanded posterodistally. Peraeopod 7 basis posterior margin convex. Peraeopod 7 basis with posterior margin smooth or minutely castelloserrate, posteroventral corner broadly rounded. 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, with 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 with basofacial robust seta (2), without distoventral spur. Uropod 3 subequal or slightly exceeding length of uropods 1 and 2; inner ramus shorter than outer ramus; outer ramus short (shorter than or subequal to peducle), 1-articulate. Telson cleft. Telson without robust setae on inner margins. Telson each lobe with 3 or more apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Habitat. Marine; living intertidally among algae and rocks.

Depth zone. Littoral.

Distribution. Western Australia: Bunker Bay, Cape Naturaliste (J.L. Barnard, 1974).

Australian geographic areas. South-western Australia.

Pereon. Gnathopod 2 propodus without medial depression.

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'.