Birubius banksi, Taylor, 2009

Taylor, Joanne, 2009, Phoxocephalidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 800-827 : 801-804

Birubius banksi sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 , Pl. 5E)

Type material. Holotype female, 3.8 mm, AM P70915, Cobia Hole , Lizard Island (14°39.154’S 145°26.851’E), sediment, patches of reef and sand, 17 m, 25 February 2005 ( QLD 1672 ) . Paratypes: male, 3.0 mm, AM P77834; 17 females, 1 damaged male, 1.3–3.0 mm AM P77835, same station data .

Type locality. Cobia Hole , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia .

Additional material examined. 1 female, AM P70620 ( QLD 1621 ) ; 1 female, AM P70580 ( QLD 1622 ) ; 1 female, AM P70591 ( QLD 1622 ) ; 10 females, AM P70822 ( QLD 1666 ) ; 1 female, AM P70782 ( QLD 1666 ) ; approx. 30 females, AM P71418 ( QLD 1805 ) .

Etymology. Named for naturalist Joseph Banks who, after visiting Lizard Island with navigator James Cook in 1770, was to lament in his journal that he had too little time to study the wealth of strange creatures he saw in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Description. Based on holotype female 3.8 mm.

Head. Rostrum constricted; eyes present. Antenna 1 peduncle article 2 with ventral setae situated on middle. Antenna 2 peduncle article 4 facial robust setae not in a single row, dorsal setae present; article 5 midfacial robust setae present as a single set of 2; flagellum multiarticulate. Mandible palp article 2 with outer setae; molar simple, form D (bearing 4 or more widely spaced spines usually without common base); right molar with 6 spines, without disjunct spines, right incisor with 3 teeth, right lacinia mobilis simple, right raker row of 7 teeth. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 4 setae; outer plate without an especially thickened robust seta. Maxilliped inner plate with 1 large thin-thick apical robust seta; outer plates, inner margin poorly armed, with 6 or fewer setae.

Pereon. Coxae, long ventral setae present on coxae 1–3 but absent from coxa 4, main ventral setae of coxae 1–4 = 5–5–5–0. Coxa 1 expanded distally. Gnathopods similar. Gnathopod 1 palms oblique. Pereopods 3–4, carpus with 1 posteroproximal robust setae, propodus slender setae absent. Pereopod 5 basis tapering distally (slightly), without facial ridge. Pereopod 6 basis with 2 facial ridges. Pereopod 7 basis with few or no long ventral setae, with 1 facial ridge.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 anteroventral margin with 3 setae, posteroventral face with 2 long setae, posterior pair of posteroventral setae not set vertically. Epimeron 2 with 6 facial setae, crowded anteriorly. Epimeron 3 facial setae absent, posterior setae absent, with 3 ventral setae. Uropod 1, peduncle basofacial setae absent, without major displaced robust setae, with 1 apicolateral spine; inner ramus of uropod 1 with 2 dorsal spines, without subapical accessory robust seta, outer rami continuously spinose to apex. Uropods 1–2 rami with well developed apical nails. Uropod 3 outer ramus article 2 with 2 apical setae.

Habitat. In sediment with patches of reef and sand.

Remarks. This new species of Birubius can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the following combination of traits; coxa 1 expanded distally with 4 long ventral setae, right mandibular incisor with 3 teeth; pereopods 3–4 carpus with 1 posteroproximal robust setae. It can be further distinguished from Birubius batei by the simple right lacinia mobilis and constricted rostrum; from B. casuarina sp. nov. by the absence of basofacial setae on uropod 1, and from other species of the genus from the GBR by the lack of posterior and facial setae on epimeron 3.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Birubius banksi sp. nov., holotype, female, 3.8 mm, AM P70915; (a) paratype, male, 3.0 mm, AM P77834, Cobia Hole, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 2. Birubius banksi sp. nov., holotype, female, 3.8 mm, AM P70915, Cobia Hole, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.