Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Quadrimaera serrata (Schellenberg, 1938)

Maera tenella. --Walker, 1904: 224, pl. 5, fig. 31. --Tattersall, 1922: 8. --Pirlot, 1936: 309 (fide Sivaprakasam, 1966).

Maera sp. --K.H. Barnard, 1936: 124.

Maera inaequipes serrata Schellenberg, 1938: 41, fig. 18. --J.L. Barnard, 1962: 99. --J.L. Barnard, 1965: 510. --Ledoyer, 1967: 127, fig. 9. --Sivaprakasam, 1968: 100. --Surya Rao, 1972: 194.

Maera serrata. --Sivaprakasam, 1970: 35. --Ruffo, 1969: 25. --J.L. Barnard, 1970: 155, figs 96-97. --J.L. Barnard, 1971: 77, figs 38, 40-41. --J.L. Barnard, 1972b: 107. --Ledoyer, 1972: 229, pl. 46. --Ledoyer, 1978: 279. --Ledoyer, 1982: 544, fig. 207. --Griffiths, 1973: 286. --Ledoyer, 1978: 229. --Ortiz, 1978: 8. --Berents, 1983: 131, fig. 24. --Myers, 1985: 117, fig. 92. --Myers, 1997: 109.

Quadrimaera serrata. --Krapp-Schickel & Ruffo, 2000: xxx.

Type material. Wherabouts unknown.

Type locality. Apamama, Kiribati (Gilbert Islands).

Description. Based on J.L. Barnard, 1970: 155, figs 96-97, Berents, 1983: 131, fig. 24 and Myers, 1985: 117, fig. 92. Head lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, lacking notch or slit, anteroventral corner with acute/subacute tooth. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 not geniculate with article 2, shorter than article 2, with 3 robust setae along posterior margin; accessory flagellum with 6 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5, or article 4 subequal to article 5. Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 rectolinear, with setae mostly terminal, longer than article 1, article 2 subequal to article 3, article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with setae mainly terminal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; coxa anteroventral corner produced, acute; merus without posterodistal tooth; carpus about 2 x as long as broad; propodus without anterodistal projection, posterodistal margin not swollen, palm acute, convex, without posterodistal corner, without posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; subchelate; left and right gnathopods subequal in size; merus with subquadrate posteroventral corner; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, without strong concentration of setae, palm nearly transverse, convex (slightly) or straight, sculptured (minutely) or smooth, lined with robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral tooth; dactylus closing along palm, reaching end of palm, apically acute/subacute. Peraeopod 5 basis posterior margin convex (slighlty). Peraeopod 5 basis posteroventral corner with acute or subacute process. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, truncated. Peraeopod 6 basis posterior margin straight. Peraeopod 6 basis posteroventral corner with acute or subacute process. 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 with acute or subacute process or narrowly rounded or subquadrate. 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 serrate, 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 without dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with basofacial robust seta, without distoventral spur. Uropod 3 subequal or slightly exceeding length of uropods 1 and 2; inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus medium length (1.1 to about 1.5 x longer than peducle), 1-articulate. Telson cleft. Telson without robust setae on inner margins. Telson each lobe with 2 apical/subapical robust setae or each lobe with 3 or more apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Habitat. Marine.

Depth zone. Littoral.

Distribution. Queensland: Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (Berents, 1983): Western Australia: Abrolhos Islands (Tattersall, 1922).

Extrinsic distribution. Red Sea; south-eastern Africa; Madagascar; Mauritius; Sri Lanka; Bay of Bengal; Indonesia; Caroline Islands; Marshall Islands; Kiribati; Fiji; Hawaii; Western Samoa; Cuba.

Australian geographic areas. North-eastern Australia, or North-western Australia.

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'.