Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae

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

Protolembos yaranus Myers, 1988b: 322, figs 48-50.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: male, 5.2 mm, AM P37440. PARATYPES: 4 males, AM P37441, 6 females, AM P38617.

Type locality. Red Bluff, Kalbarri, Western Australia (27º42'S 114º09'E), mixed algae and sediment, 3 to 4 m depth.

Description. Based on Myers, 1988: 322, figs 48-50 [Western Australia].

Head. Rostrum absent or vestigial; Lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate, scarcely recessed. Antenna 2 with profuse long setae. Labium with fine setae and stout setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 long pectinate apical seta. Maxilliped basis with strong flange on anterior margin; palp with wing-like flanges on anterior margin of basis (?on basis and ischium). Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight or weakly falcate, mandible palp posterior margin with setae of two distinct lengths, long setae and an understory of much shorter regularly spaced setae.

Peraeon. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in males only; coxa unproduced anterodistally, or distinctly produced anterodistally, sub-acute; basis robust, half or more as broad as long, without a spine, anterior margin without stridulating ridges, posterodistal margin with brush of long setae, anterodistal margin with flange weak or absent, with a weak distomedial lobe or absent; ischium anterior margin without flange, posterior margin with dense rows of setae; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with dense rows of setae, without posterodistal spine; carpus one third length of propodus or two thirds length of propodus, anterior margin without stridulating ridges, with short dense setae, anterior surface with no spine, without an oblique row of long setae on medial face, posterior margin without spines; propodus longer than carpus, anterior margin weakly to moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight or evenly convex, palm present, palm delimited from posterior margin, margin forming a narrow sinus, palm defined by strong posterodistal spine, without robust seta defining palm, with spine near base of dactylus, with subtriangular, apically subacute or rounded spine; dactylus more than half length of propodus, significantly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin without flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few setae along length of basis; carpus longer than propodus, anterior margin not lobate, densely setose; propodus densely setose, palm with robust seta(e) defining palm. Pereopod 6 basis not or weakly produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 significantly greater than 125% length of pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin produced into a small spine. Uropod 1 biramous, rami rami subequal, peduncle much longer than broad, distoventral interramal spine shorter than peduncle. Uropod 2 peduncle with distoventral interramal spine. Uropod 3 biramous, outer ramus shorter than inner, inner ramus one and one half times length of peduncle.

Habitat. Epifaunal among algae and sponges in 2-4 metres.

Depth zones. Littoral.

Distribution. Western Australia: Vancouver Peninsula (Myers, 1988b); Red Bluff, Kalbarri (Myers, 1988b).

Geographic areas. South-western Australia, or North-western Australia.

Peraeon. Gnathopod 1 posterodistal margin with setae sparse or absent; posterior margin with setae sparse or absent; posterior margin with sparse setae or setae absent; carpus two thirds length of propodus, with setae sparse or absent; margin entire or margin forming a broad excavate sinus (shallow), with robust seta defining palm. Gnathopod 2 carpus subequal with or shorter than propodus, moderately to sparsely setiferous; propodus moderately to sparsely setose.

Cite this publication as: 'J.K. Lowry, P.B. Berents & R.T. Springthorpe (2001 onwards). Australian Amphipoda: Aoridae. Version 1: 2 October 2000. https://crustacea.net/'. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).

Index