Linguimaera sp.

Krapp-Schickel, T., 2003, Linguimaera Pirlot, 1936 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Melitidae), a valid genus, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60 (2), pp. 257-283 : 277-282

Linguimaera sp.

Figure 16

Material examined. South-western Bass Strait (39°32.8´S, 144°16´E), 18 m, 1 Nov 1980, fine sand, epibenthic sled, G.C.B. Poore on FV Sarda (stn BSS 107), NMV J 2505 (2 males 10 mm) .

Diagnosis. Length 10 mm. Coxa 1 anteriorly acutely produced. Gnathopod 1 propodus slender, carpus much longer than propodus, widened. Gnathopod 2 male palm slightly excavated and crenulated. Pereopods 5, 6 basis rectangular, pereopod 7 posterodistal corner rounded, lengthened. Uropod 3 long, slim. Telson with short distal robust setae that are scarcely exceeding tip; 4 robust setae along inner margin of telsonic lobes.

Distribution. Bass strait.

Remarks. This material is very similar to L. leo sp. nov. and L. tias sp. nov. but the robust setae on the inner margin of telsonic lobes (naked in all other species) seem to be a good character to distinguish this species within the group. Not a large animal, in many respects these specimens seem more slender than L. leo : antenna 2 peduncle article 4, gnathopod 1 propodus and carpus, and gnathopod 2 dactylus, propodus are all narrower than in L. leo . Linguimaera sp. shares the narrow articles of appendages with L. tias , and also the rich setation on the posterior margin of the basis of gnathopods and the relatively long accessory flagellum, but again the spination of the telson is much different. Most probably these species have different ecological niches. The present material is too poor for defining a new species.

Figures

Figure 16. Linguimaera sp. (south-western Bass Strait). Gn1, 2 small male, Gn2 large male, Gn1, 2 hyperadult male in scale x = 1 mm; Gn1´male hyperadult in scale y = 1 mm.