Ampithoe katae Peart, 2007

Hughes, L. E. & Lowry, J. K., 2009, Ampithoidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 153-219 : 157-161

Ampithoe katae Peart, 2007

( Figs 3 , 4 )

Ampithoe katae Peart, 2007b: 37 , figs 26–29 (key).

Ampithoe ningaloo Peart, 2007b: 55 , figs 42–45 (key).

Material examined. Holotype, male, 5 mm, AM P61842 ( QLD 1372 ) . Paratypes: female, AM P61843 ( QLD 1372 ) ; many unsexed, AM P70594 ( QLD 1622 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P76791 ( QLD 1632 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P70737, ( QLD 1643 ) ; 4 unsexed, AM P70790 ( QLD 1649 ) ; 1 unsexed, AM P76790 ( QLD 1670 ) ; 6 unsexed, AM P70903 ( QLD 1685 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P70919 ( QLD 1695 ) ; 8 unsexed, AM P70947 ( QLD 1696 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P70945 ( QLD 1699 ) ; 7 unsexed, AM P70948 ( QLD 1703 ) ; 2 unsexed, photos 2, AM P70981 ( QLD 1704 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71079 ( QLD 1704 ) ; 2 unsexed, AM P76789 ( QLD 1730 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71162 ( QLD 1732 ) ; 2 unsexed, AM P71198 ( QLD 1736 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71256 ( QLD 1757 ) ; 1 male ‘ D’, 1 slide, AM P76777 ( QLD 1762 ) ; 1 male ‘ E’, 1 slide, AM P76783 ( QLD 1762 ) ; 1 male ‘ F’, 1 slide, AM P76776 ( QLD 1762 ) ; 11 unsexed, AM P71272 ( QLD 1762 ) ; 2 unsexed, AM P76792 ( QLD 1787 ) ; 12 unsexed, AM P71548 ( QLD 1787 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P71368 ( QLD 1799 ) ; 7 unsexed, AM P71395 ( QLD 1801 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71557 ( QLD 1824 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71426 ( QLD 1830 ) ; 4 unsexed, AM P71551 ( QLD 1831 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P71558 ( QLD 1833 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71580 ( QLD 1834 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71576 ( QLD 1835 ) ; 1 male ‘ C’, 3 slides, AM P76781 ( QLD 1837 ) ; 1 male ‘ A’, 3 slides, AM P76778 ( QLD 1837 ) ; 1 female ‘ B’, 3 slides, AM P76780 ( QLD 1837 ) ; many unsexed, AM P71453 ( QLD 1837 ) ; 3 unsexed, AM P76782 ( QLD 1885 ) ; 1 unsexed, AM P76787 ( QLD 1888 ) ; 2 unsexed, AM P76785 ( QLD 1895 ) ; 1 unsexed, AM P76784 ( QLD 1974 ) ; many unsexed, AM P76786 ( QLD 1976 ) ; 2 unsexed, AM P76788 ( QLD 1978 ) .

Type locality. Mangrove Beach , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14º40.99’S 145º27.63’E), living on Turbinaria sp. , 1 m.

Description. Based on holotype male, 5 mm, AM P61842.

Head. Head as long as deep. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal to article 2; flagellum 16 articles; accessory flagellum absent. Antenna 2 peduncle not densely setose on ventral margin; article 4 subequal in length to article 5; flagellum 11 articles. Upper lip directed nearly straight down, lateral margins each with midlateral notch. Mandible molar well developed, triturating, accessory setal row with 5 serrate setae; palp 3–articulate, marginally setose; article 1 shorter than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 longer than article 1. Lower lip outer plates notched, forming deep medial excavation, lateral lobe distinctly longer than medial lobe; mandibular lobe with curved margins, rounded apically. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 3 setae; palp article 2 slender. Maxilla 2 inner plate narrower than outer plate. Maxilliped outer plate with row of large robust setae along medial margin.

Pereon. Coxae 1–4 deeper than broad. Gnathopod 1 smaller than gnathopod 2; coxa distinctly larger than coxa 2, anteroventrally produced, anterior margin slightly concave, anteroventral corner rounded; basis shorter than coxa, anterodistal lobe rounded, with 1 slender seta; merus posterodistal lobe subacute; carpus about 1.5 x as long as broad, shorter than propodus, anterior margin with 2 robust setae; propodus narrow, subrectangular; palm slightly acute, convex, with rounded posterodistal corner, with 1 robust seta defining palm; dactylus overreaching palm, inner margin crenate. Gnathopod 2 coxa without long, plumose setal fringe on ventral margin; basis with sparse slender setae, anterodistal corner with 1 robust seta; merus, margin with short, subacute anterodistal lobe; carpus shorter than propodus, subtriangular; propodus broad, less than 1.5 x as long as broad, subovoid, produced into an anterodistally setose lobe, anterior margin with fringe of slender setae; palm acute, excavate, with posterodistal tooth, short (length 1 x breadth), apically subacute, without robust setae defining palm; dactylus subequal in length to palm, tapering evenly, apically acute, inner margin crenate. Pereopods 3–4 basis moderately expanded; merus longer than carpus. Pereopods 5–7 weakly prehensile. Pereopod 5 without medial slender setae; distal articles slender; propodus not expanded distally, with 3 anterodistal striated robust setae; dactylus strongly curved. Pereopod 6 basis rounded proximally, straight distally, with several marginal robust setae; distal articles slender; propodus slightly expanded distally, with 2 anterodistal striated robust setae; dactylus strongly curved. Pereopod 7 similar to pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimera 2–3 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Uropod 1 peduncle with 6 robust setae, with long fringe of slender setae (greater than 0.5 x length of peduncle), distoventral spine absent; outer ramus with 4 marginal robust setae; inner ramus with 5 lateral robust setae. Uropod 2 peduncle with 2 robust setae; outer ramus with 6 lateral robust setae; inner ramus with 7 robust setae. Uropod 3 peduncle longer than broad, about 2 x length of rami, without marginal slender setae, with 4 distal robust setae, with 4 distal slender setae on ventral margin; outer ramus with 2 large recurved distal robust setae, without lateral robust or slender setae; inner ramus with 4 distal slender setae, without lateral robust setae. Telson subtrapezoidal, apically truncated, with small apical cusp on each distolateral corner, with oblique medial rows of slender setae, with 1 pair of lateral slender setae, and with 2 pair of lateral and 1 pair of apical plumose setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype, female, 6 mm, AM P61843. Gnathopod 1 subequal in size to gnathopod 2; carpus anterior margin with 1 robust seta, posterior margin subacute; dactylus subequal in length to palm. Gnathopod 2 basis anterodistal corner with 2 slender setae; palm entire, with posterodistal corner, rounded, with 1 robust seta defining palm .

Colour. Body lime green, with red eyes.

Habitat. Turbinaria sp. and green algae from 1–3.5 m depth.

Remarks. Peart (2007b) did not compare Ampithoe ningaloo Peart, 2007b and A. katae . Our examination of types and a range of material from both species indicates that species level differences figured in Peart (2007b) are variations in growth stages. Consequently we are synonymising the species. Characters of A. katae that are known to change with growth include: number of robust setae on the anterior margin of the carpus of gnathopods 1 and 2 and the number of setae on the anterodistal lobe of the basis in gnathopods 1 and 2. Counts of setae for these characters from individuals of varying size, shows that there is a general, but inconsistent, trend for a greater number of robust setae on the gnathopods and uropods with increased size of individuals.

Within the GBR Ampithoe fauna, Ampithoe katae is similar to A. waialua J.L. Barnard, 1970 , but can be distinguished by the gnathopod 1 palm, which is entire in A. katae and excavate in A. waialua . Ampithoe katae is also similar to A. cookana but both A. waialua and A. cookana lack the anterodistal hood on the propodus of male gnathopod 2.

The heavily setose anterodistal hood on the propodus of male gnathopod 2 in A. katae is also seen in A. platycera Sivaprakasam, 1971 from India, A. rachanoi Peart, 2002 , from Thailand, and species associated with the A. ramondi species complex. Ampithoe katae is most readily distinguished from A. platycera by the entire palm on the propodus of gnathopod 1, excavate in A. platycera . Ampithoe katae is very similar to A. rachanoi , however, differences in telson shape, trapezoidal in A. katae and subtriangular in A. rachanoi , distinguish these species. Comparison with species attributed to the A. ramondi complex is difficult until further study is made into this species complex.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Torres Strait (current study); Lizard Island ( Peart 2007b); One Tree

Island (current study). Western Australia: Ningaloo ( Peart 2007b) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Ampithoe katae Peart, 2007b, holotype, male, 5 mm, AM P61842, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (based on Peart 2007b).

FIGURE 4. Ampithoe katae Peart, 2007b, holotype, male, 5 mm, AM P61842, paratype, female, 6 mm, AM P61843, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (based on Peart 2007b).