Latigammaropsis hestia, Myers, 2009

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Photidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 771-799 : 785-787

Latigammaropsis hestia sp. nov.

( Figs 11 , 12 )

Type material. Holotype, male, 5.0 mm, AM P5476 , Picnic beach, Palfrey Island , (14°41’70”S 145°26’92”E), rock rubble, S.E. LeCroy, 4 July 2001 ( SEL / LZI 2-7 ) . Paratype: 1 female, 4.9 mm, AM P5477 , same data as holotype .

Type locality. Palfrey Island , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41’70”S 145°26’92”E).

Etymology. Greek mythology: Hestia, Goddess of the hearth

Description. Based on holotype, male, 5.0 mm, AM P5476.

Head. Head anteroventral margin strongly recessed, extending behind posterior margin of eye. Eye lageniform, small, distinctly less than one quarter head length, eyes partially situated within the lateral lobe. Mandible palp article 3 distinctly shorter than article 2, spatulate, widest subdistally. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 subequal with article 3; flagellum with 13 articles; accessory flagellum distinct and multiarticulate. Antenna 2 short, less than one third body length, flagellum distinctly longer than peduncular article 5 with 6 articles.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 carpus subequal to propodus; propodus less than 1.5 x as long as wide, posterodistal margin evenly rounded. Gnathopod 2 basis anterior margin without setae; carpus with distinct free posterior expansion; propodus about 2.5 x as long as carpus, posterodistal margin without robust seta, with multiple excavations; dactylus long, distinctly longer than half length of propodus. Pereopod 3 merus with few setae on anterior margin. Pereopod 5 basis extremely expanded, as long as broad, with few setae on anterior margin.

Pleon. Urosomites 1–2 without dorsolateral spines. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 peduncle with long distoventral spine; rami distinctly unequal in length. Uropod 2 peduncle without distoventral spine; rami distinctly unequal in length. Uropod 3 peduncle subequal to the longest ramus; both rami well developed; outer ramus with terminal robust seta. Telson with terminal robust seta on each side.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype female 4.9 mm, AM P5477 . Gnathopod 2 carpus without distinct free posterior expansion; propodus, posterodistal margin with robust seta, with no excavations .

Habitat. Rock rubble.

Remarks. Latigammaropsis hestia sp. nov. differs from other species in the L. afra / atlantica complex in having the dactylus of the male gnathopod 2 significantly overlapping the palm. It also differs in having the posterodistal margin of the propodus of the male gnathopod 2, developed into a flat shelf rather than into a forward produced spine.

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

Figures

FIGURE 11. Latigammaropsis hestia gen. nov., sp. nov., holotype, male, 5.0 mm, AM P5476, Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 12. Latigammaropsis hestia gen. nov., sp. nov., holotype, male, 5.0 mm, paratype female 5.0 mm, AM P5476, Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.