Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Melita ophiocola Lowry & Springthorpe

Type material. HOLOTYPE: female, 9.6 mm, AM P55192. PARATYPES: AM P25456; male, AM P46263; female, AM P46264; 17 males, 11 females, 79 juveniles, AM P55193 - AM P55200, AM P 55236, AM P55240 - P55242, AM P55245.

Type locality. Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, New South Wales (33º50.9'S 151º16.15'E), living in association with the ophiuroid Ophionerieis schlayeri under rocks.

Description. Based on holotype female, AM P55192 and paratype male, AM P55193. Head lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner rounded. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 not geniculate with article 2, longer than article 2, with 4 or more robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 30 articles (about); accessory flagellum with 5 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 13 articles (about). Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 rectolinear, setose along straight medial margin, longer than article 1, article 2 subequal to article 3, article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2. 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 acute, convex (slightly), defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic (slightly), or not 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 broadly rounded, convex, smooth, with sparse robust setae (small), defined by posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner; dactylus closing along palm, 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 broadly rounded. 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 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 strongly produced acute spine, posteroventral margin smooth or serrate (minutely). Urosomite 1 without dorsal carina, without a small dorsal hump, without dorsal serrations, with spines at midline, no conspicuous medial gape, not dorsally bicarinate. Urosomite 1 with posterodorsal spine. Urosomite 2 posterior margin smooth, without 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 1 apical/subapical robust seta, apical conical extension reaching at least halfway along longest seta.

Habitat. Marine; living in association with the ophiuroid Ophionerieis schlayeri under rocks.

Depth zone. Littoral (1 to 13 m).

Distribution. New South Wales: Broken Bay; Port Jackson; Twofold Bay (all AM).

Australian geographic areas. South-eastern Australia.

Pereon. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; palm acute, straight. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, rounded.

Pleon. Depth zone. Littoral.

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'.