Phronima solitaria Guérin­Méneville

Zeidler, Wolfgang, 2004, A review of the families and genera of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Phronimoidea Bowman & Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea), Zootaxa 567, pp. 1-66 : 12-13

Phronima solitaria Guérin­Méneville

Phronima solitaria Guérin­Méneville, 1844: 21–22 .

Phronima custos – Bate 1862: 318, pl. 51, fig. 2.

Phronima megalodus Stebbing, 1888: 1353–1354 , pl. 162A.

Phronima atlantica var solitaria – Vosseler 1901: 23, pl. 2, fig. 5.

Type material

The holotype female of P. solitaria is in the ANSP ( CA 2693 ) in the Guérin­Méneville collection (No. 446): once alcohol preserved, now dry (see Zeidler 1997) .

Type material of synonyms

The holotype female of P. megalodus is in the BMNH (89.5.15.204): on two microscope slides .

Remarks

There is some doubt regarding the correct date for the citation of this species. Past reviewers ( Vosseler 1901; Shih 1969, 1971) have cited Guérin­Méneville, 1836a, and, although this is the correct date for the plates, the text was not completed until the end of 1843 (see remarks on P. atlantica ). Phronima solitaria was not figured in any of the plates, and was only described on p. 21 of the text, which was not published until 1844! This should therefore be the date used when citing this species (e.g. Spamer & Bogan 1992, 1994). Incidentally, the reference given by Shih (1969) for the original description of this species refers to P. atlantica .

Phronima solitaria was considered a mere variety of P. atlantica by Vosseler (1901) but Shih (1969) elevated it again to specific status, a decision which is supported by the examination of the type.

The similarity of this species to P. sedentaria has already been discussed under that species.