Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Parelasmopus suensis (Haswell, 1879)

Megamoera suensis Haswell, 1879b: 335, pl. 21, fig. 5. --Miers, 1884: 317.

Megamoera haswelli. Miers, 1884: 318 (text name).

Elasmopus suensis. --Stebbing, 1906: 442.

Parelasmopus suensis. --Berents, 1983: 138, figs 28-29. --Myers, 1985: 126, figs 100-101. --Myers, 1997: 109.

not Megamoera suensis Haswell, 1885: 103, pl. 15, figs 1-4 (=M. hamigera (Haswell) fide Stebbing, 1906, but see Stebbing, 1910a: 600).

Type material. LECTOTYPE: male, AM P18499.

Type locality. Sue Island, Torres Strait, Australia.

Description. Based on Berents, 1983: 138, figs 28-29 and Myers, 1985: 126, figs 100-101. Head lateral cephalic lobes broad, truncated, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner with acute/subacute tooth. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 not geniculate with article 2, subequal in length to article 2, with 2 robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 22 articles; accessory flagellum with 3 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 6-7 articles. Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 rectolinear, with setae mostly terminal, shorter than article 1, article 2 shorter than article 3, article 1 curved, swollen distally (slightly), longer than article 2, at least 3 x as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with setae mainly terminal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; coxa anteroventral corner produced, acute, coxa posteroventral corner notch present; merus without posterodistal tooth; carpus about 2 x as long as broad; propodus without anterodistal projection, posterodistal margin not swollen, palm extremely acute, straight, defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate; left and right gnathopods subequal in size; merus with sharp posteroventral tooth; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, without strong concentration of setae, palm acute, straight, sculptured, lined with robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral tooth (small); dactylus closing along palm, reaching end of palm, apically blunt. Peraeopod 5 basis posterior margin straight. Peraeopod 5 basis posteroventral corner with acute or subacute process. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin not produced ventrally. Peraeopod 6 basis posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Peraeopod 6 propodus not expanded posterodistally. Peraeopod 7 basis with posterior margin castelloserrate (weakly), posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Peraeopod 7 propodus not expanded posterodistally.

Pleon. Pleonite 1 without dorsal serrations, without dorsodistal spines, dorsally bicarinate. Pleonite 2 without dorsal serrations, without dorsodistal spines, 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 serrate. Urosomite 1 without dorsal carina, without a small dorsal hump, without dorsal serrations, without spines or gape, 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, 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 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 3 or more apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Habitat. Marine.

Depth zone. Littoral.

Distribution. Queensland: Sue Island, Torress Strait (Haswell, 1879b); Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (Berents, 1983).

Extrinsic distribution. Fiji.

Australian geographic areas. North-eastern Australia.

Megamoera suensis Haswell, 1879x: 335, pl. 21, fig. 5. --Miers, 1884: 317.

Megamoera haswelli. Miers, 1884: 318 (text name).

Elasmopus suensis. --Stebbing, 1906: 442.

Parelasmopus suensis. --Berents, 1983: 138, figs 28-29. --Myers, 1985: 126, figs 100-101. --Myers, 1997: 109.

not Megamoera suensis Haswell, 1885: 103, pl. 15, figs 1-4 (=M. hamigera (Haswell) fide Stebbing, 1906, but see Stebbing, 1910a: 600).

Pereon. Gnathopod 2 subchelate (weakly); merus with rounded posteroventral corner; carpus long; palm extremely acute, smooth, without robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner; apically acute/subacute.

Pleon. Extrinsic distribution. Fiji; Western Samoa.

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'.