Nymphon rottnesti Child 1975

Nymphon rottnesti . — Child 1975:5 –7, fig. 3. — Bamber 2005: 328 –331, fig. 2.

Material examined: NMV J54993, 1 young adult, no genital pores visible. November 2005, Mentelle, Western Australia, CSIRO station 015-120, collected with Sherman sled from 33.9800°S 114.7340°E to 33.9837°S 114.7350°E, soft bottom, 97 m.

Remarks: Nymphon rottnesti and N. flindersi Child, 1975 were synonymised in Bamber (2005) based on male characters described for the first time. This specimen shows a combination of characters from both types. The chelae are longer than the scape and the position of the oviger implantation is the same as in N. rottnesti, as are the lengths of the leg segments. The palp segments, propodus and claw proportions and a long abdomen agree with those of N. flindersi . However, the neck is shorter, the coxae 2 are not as long, there are fewer oviger spines, fewer chelae teeth, and the proboscis is strongly tapering at the tip giving a conical shape; these differences may justify proposing a new species, but only if more mature specimens were available. Nymphon rottnesti is known from Western Australia.