Melita persia, Momtazi, Farzaneh, Sari, Alireza & Maghsoudlou, Abdolvahab, 2014

Momtazi, Farzaneh, Sari, Alireza & Maghsoudlou, Abdolvahab, 2014, New species and new record of hadzioids (Amphipoda: Senticaudata, Hadzioidea) from the Persian Gulf, Iran, Zootaxa 3881 (5), pp. 440-452 : 443-450

Melita persia sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype, male, 6.4 mm, INIOC 1-20S, Qeshm Island, (26°43'58"N 55°50'02"E), intertidal zone, January 2014. Allotype, female, 6 mm, INIOC 1-21S, Qeshm Island, (26°43'58"N 55°50'2"E), intertidal zone, January 2014. Additional paratypes: INIOC 1-22S, Qeshm Island (26°43'58"N 55°50'2"E).

Type locality. Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf.

Etymology. Persia refers to the Persian Sea as ancient name of the Persian Gulf.

Description. Based on holotype male, 6.4 mm. INIOC 1-20S ( Fig. 5 ), Qeshm Island, (26°43'58"N 55°50'02"E).

Head. Eyes ovoid, antero-ventral corner subquadrate. Antenna 1 ( Fig. 5 ) peduncular article 1 length 0.75 × article 2, with one postero-distal stout seta and few fine setae, article 2 longest, article 3 length 0.41 × article 1; flagellum 28-articulate, accessory flagellum 3-articulate. Antenna 2 ( Fig. 5 ) peduncular article 2 gland cone not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5, flagellum 8-articulate.

Upper lip (Fig. 6, U.L) with apical setules. Mandible (Fig. 6, Md.) molar columnar triturative, mandible palp article 2 is equal to article 3, article 3 with terminal setae and lateral setae on both sides, article 2 with 11 long setae on inner margin, article1 length 0.35 × article 3, inner margin article 1 not produced distally. Maxilla 1 (Fig. 6, Mx1) inner plate with 9 apical plumose setae, outer plate with 9 setal-teeth (Fig. 6, Mx1 marked by arrow); palp 2- articulate, distal article with lateral long setae and apical short setae. Maxilla 2 (Fig. 6, Mx2) inner plate with several apical long setae, two medial setae and fine setae on lateral margin; outer plate with several apical long setae and fine setae on lateral margin. Maxilliped, (Fig. 6, Mxp) palp 4-articulate, article 2 longest, 1.6 × article 1.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 (Fig. 6, G 1♂) coxa not antero-ventrally produced, 1.6 × as long as broad, ventral margin with short and long setae; basis 2.8 × as long as broad with a group of setae on antero-distal margin and some long setae on postero-medial margin; carpus 1.8 × length of propodus; propodus with transverse palm with 1 robust facial setae; anterior margin forming a hood above dactylus; dactylus with medial protrusion on posterior margin. Gnathopod 2 (Fig. 6, G 2♂) equal size on both sides, coxa subrectangular 1.7 × as long as broad, with setae on distal margin; basis 2.8 × as long as broad, with a few groups of long setae on anterior margin and long setae on postero-medial margin; merus slightly produced ventrodistally; carpus triangle, shorter than propodus; propodus subovoid, 1.7 × as long as broad, medial surface covered in fine setae, palmar margin weakly convex with posterodistal shelf, stout setae and slender setae on palm; dactylus broad throughout its length and slightly tapered at tip and closing across inner face of propodus.

Pereopod 3, ( Fig. 7 , P3) coxa subrectangular, 1.5 × as long as broad, with short setae on ventral margin; propodus and carpus subequal; dactylus short. Pereopod 4 ( Fig. 7 , P4) similar to pereopod 3 except coxa deeply excavate posteriorly. Pereopod 5, ( Fig. 7 , P5) coxa with round anterior lobe, posterior margin weakly serrated with short setae. Pereopod 6, ( Fig. 7 , P6) coxa with small anterior lobe; basis subovate, 1.4 × as long as broad, anterior margin with stout setae, posterior margin serrated with fine setae. Pereopod 7, ( Fig. 7 , P7) basis 1.3 × as long as broad, anterior margin with numerous robust setae, posterior margin convex and weakly serrated.

Pleon. Epimeron 1, ( Fig. 7 , EP) posterior margin smooth. Epimeron 2, ( Fig. 7 , EP) posterior corner with small acute tooth, distal margins with two stout setae. Epimeron 3, ( Fig. 7 , EP) posterior margin weakly serrated with three stout setae on distal margin. Urosomite 1 ( Fig. 5 ) dorsally smooth. Urosomite 2 ( Fig. 5 ) with 3 small stout setae on each side and 1 cusp. Urosomite 3, ( Fig. 5 ) dorsally smooth. Uropod 1, ( Fig. 5 , U1) peduncle with basofacial stout seta, some stout setae on peduncle; rami subequal to each other, shorter than peduncle. Uropod 2, ( Fig. 5 , U2) rami subequal to each other, equal to peduncle. Uropod 3, ( Fig. 5 , U3) outer ramus long (about 5 × breadth), up to 3 × length of peduncle; inner ramus reduced, with two apical robust setae. Telson ( Fig. 5 , T) deeply cleft, telson halves with pointed apex; inner margin of each lobe with two distal stout setae and three short lateral stout setae; outer margin with distally two stout setae and two proximal stout setae.

FIGURE 6. Melita persia sp. nov. Holotype, male, 6.4 mm, INIOC 1-20S, Qeshm Island, (26°43'58"N 55°50'2"E) G1 & 2 ♀ from allotype; female, 6 mm, INIOC 1-21S, Qeshm Island. Scale a= 0.25 mm and b= 0.5 mm.

Character species A2 Ventrally spine Mx1 inner Art2/art3 Setation of A.F. art.

on A1, art1 ramus Mandibular Palp Mandibular Palp art 3 ND means not documented.

Allotype. Female, 6 mm, INIOC 1-21S, Qeshm Island, (26°43' 58" N 55°50' 2" E). Gnathopod 1 (Fig. 6, G1♀) as same as male expect without stout facial spine on propodus palm. Gnathopod 2 (Fig. 6, G2♀) small, with grouped setae on anterior and posterior margin of propodus and 2 locking spines, dactylus not reaching to end of palm. Coxa 6 ( Fig. 5 , P6♀) with completely curved anterior lob.

Variation. Antenna 1 accessory flagellum 3 or 4-articulated.

Habitat. Mid-intertidal zone with algae in rocky coasts of the Persian Gulf.

Remarks. Melita persia sp. nov. is an abundant amphipod along the coast of Qeshm Island, in the Persian Gulf. Melita persia belongs to the Melita zeylanica group, that is defined by morphologically similar species of Melita with 1-articulate outer ramus on the third uropod ( Appadoo & Myers 2005). The Melita zeylanica group is comprised of M. corticis Appadoo & Myers, 2005 , M. persia sp. nov, M. setiflagella Yamato, 1988 , M. zeylanica Stebbing, 1904 and M. zeylanica kauerti Barnard 1972 . Between the members of this group M. persia is more close to Melita zeylanica kauerti Barnard, 1972 based on similar characters on the urosomites, first antenna, curved sixth coxa on females and bearing more than one stout seta on inner ramus of the third uropod. Differences between species of this group were shown on Table 1 . The proximal lobe of the female coxa 6 shows different degree of curvature in this group ( Fig. 8 ). Melita persia has the most highly curved anterior lobe on coxa 6 of known female Melita . Other species level characters that could be distinguished M. persia from other members of Melita zeylanica group were a submedial robust setae along outer margin of telson, the presence of two robust setae on inner ramus of uropod 3 and the presence of marginal setae on both sides of the third article of the mandibular palp (see Table 1 , for more details).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Melita persia sp. nov. Holotype, male, 6.4 mm, INIOC 1 - 20 S, Qeshm Island, (26 ° 43 ' 58 " N 55 ° 50 ' 2 " E), P 5 ♀ from allotype; female, 6 mm, INIOC 1 - 21 S, Qeshm Island. Scale a = 0.5 mm and b = 0.75 mm.

FIGURE 7. Melita persia sp. nov. Holotype, male, 6.4 mm, INIOC 1 - 20 S, Qeshm Island, (26 ° 43 ' 58 " N 55 ° 50 ' 2 " E). Scale a = 0.25 mm and b = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Sixth female coxa in members of Melita zeylanica group. A: M. persia (Allotype, INIOC 1 - 21 S), B: M. zeylanica kauerti, C: M. zeylanica, D: M. setifelagella, E: M. cortices.

Tables

TABLE 1. Main diagnostic morphologically characters between members of Melita zeylanica group.

M. zeylanica kauerti	Weakly setose	1	ND*	1.15	Terminal and inner 3-4 margin
M. zeylanica	Weakly setose	-	6 setae	equal	Terminal and inner 5 margin
M. corticis	Weakly setose	-	8 setae	0.8	Terminal and inner 3 margin
M. setifelagella	Densely setose	2	6 setae	equal	Terminal and inner 3 margin
M. persia	Weakly setose	1	9 setae	equal	Terminal and both 3-4 margins