Australian Amphipoda: Melitae

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

Mellita myersi Karaman, 1987

Melita zeylanica. --Myers, 1985: 125, figs 98-99.

Mellita myersi Karaman, 1987: xxx.

Type material. SYNTYPES: male, AM P55447; female, AM P35372; 7 specimens, A.A. Myers' Collection.

Type locality. Laucala Island, Suva, Fiji, among mangrove litter.

Description. Based on Myers, 1985: 125, figs 98-99, syntype male, AM P55447 and syntype female, AM P35372. 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, shorter than article 2, with 3 robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 23 articles (about); accessory flagellum with 2 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5; flagellum with 6 articles (about). Mandible palp present, well developed, article 3 rectolinear, with setae mostly terminal, longer than article 1, article 2 longer than 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 not produced, coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal tooth; carpus about 2 x as long as broad; propodus anterodistal projection forming hood over dactylus, posterodistal margin not swollen, palm obtuse, convex, defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; subchelate; left and right gnathopods subequal in size; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with subquadrate posteroventral corner; carpus short; propodus without medial depression, without strong concentration of setae, palm acute, convex (slightly), smooth, lined with robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, without posteroventral corner; dactylus closing along palm, reaching end of palm, apically acute/subacute. Peraeopod 5 basis posterior margin convex. Peraeopod 5 basis posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin not produced ventrally. 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, 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), 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, or Estuarine; among mangroves.

Depth zone. Littoral.

Distribution. Queesland: Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (AM).

Extrinsic distribution. Fiji.

Australian geographic areas. North-eastern Australia.

Type material. Did Karaman (1987) designate a type?.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 propodus without anterodistal projection. Peraeopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin strongly produced, curved posteriorly and rounded.

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'.