Protolembos Myers, 1988

[Japanese name: Minami-maeashi-yokokoebi-zoku, new]

Protolembos Myers, 1988a: 190 .— Myers, 1988b: 313.—J.L. Barnard & Karaman, 1991: 227.— Myers & Lowry, 2003: 465.

Type species. Lembos chiltoni Myers, 1981, monotypy.

Diagnosis [after Myers (1988a)]. Mandibular palp article 3 longer than article 2, ventral margin straight or sinuous, marginal setae of two distinct lengths, but terminal setae longer; left mandibular molar with complex, rounded, subsimilar plates; maxilliped basis with strong flange; male gnathopod 1 with propodus enlarged, longer than carpus; female gnathopod 1 not like that of male; uropod 3 peduncle short, expanded, outer ramus with long marginal setae and extremely long distal setae and with small second article.

Included species (11). Protolembos arinyas Myers, 1988; P. chiltoni (Myers, 1981); P. clematis (Moore, 1987); P. crouyensis Myers, 1998; P. drummondae Myers, 1988; P. kidoli (Myers, 1975); P. murrarum Myers, 1988: P. ryukyuensis sp. nov.; P. tegulapodos Myers, 2002; P. verrucularum (Moore, 1987); and P. yaranus Myers, 1988 .

Remarks. This genus is characterized mainly by the maxilliped with a strong flange only on the laterodistal corner of basis. Lembos also has flanges of the maxilliped (Table 1), but the flanges are situated on the lateral margins of basis and outer plate in L. hypacanthus K.H. Barnard, 1916 (Myers & Lyons 1987) or those of basis, outer plate and palp article 1 in L. websteri Bate, 1857 (Myers 1988a).