Photis aina J.L. Barnard, 1970

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Photidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 771-799 : 788-790

Photis aina J.L. Barnard, 1970

( Figs 13 , 14 )

Photis aina J.L. Barnard, 1970: 185 , figs 121, 122.

Photis (Cedrophotis) aina . ––J.L. Barnard, 1991: 225.

Material examined. 1 male, 1 female, AM P71406 ( QLD 1808 ) ; 1 male AM P71419 ( QLD 1829 ) ; 1 male, 2 females AM P71565 ( QLD 1829 ) .

Type locality. Off Ewa beach, Oahu , Hawaii (~ 21°18’33”S 158°1’29”E) .

Description. Based on male, 2.5 mm, AM P71406.

Head. Head anteroventral margin strongly recessed, extending behind posterior margin of eye. Eye oval, medium size, about one quarter head length, situated entirely 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 8 articles and lacking aesthetascs; accessory flagellum absent. Antenna 2 long, about half body length; flagellum distinctly longer than peduncular article 5 with 7 articles.

Pereon. Coxae 1-5 longer than broad, fringed with very long setae; coxa 1 anterodistal margin weakly produced forward. 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 lacking long setae; carpus with distinct free posterior expansion; propodus over twice length of carpus, posterodistal margin with robust seta, palm with multiple excavations; dactylus long, more than half length of propodus. Pereopod 3 merus with several very long setae on anterior margin; propodus less than 4 x as long as broad. Pereopod 5 basis extremely expanded. as long as broad; basis with many long setae along anterior margin. Pereopods 5-7 dactyls each with accessory spine on anterior margin.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 peduncle without distoventral spine; rami subequal in length. Uropod 2 peduncle without distoventral spine; rami subequal in length. Uropod 3 peduncle slender, distinctly longer than outer ramus; inner ramus about half length of outer ramus; outer ramus with terminal fine setae. Telson with terminal blunt robust seta on each side.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on female 2.6 mm, AM P71565 Gnathopod 2 carpus a little longer than that of male.

Habitat. Among Halimeda opuntia .

Remarks. This species is easily recognisable by its setose coxae and relatively long inner ramus of uropod 3. This latter is a plesiomorphic state in Photis and was responsible for this species being placed, with P. malinalco J.L. Barnard, 1967 in a subgenus Cedrophotis by Barnard (1967). Long coxal setae are also found in Dodophotis distinguenda ( Ruffo, 1955) , but that species has a vestigial inner ramus on uropod 3 and in P. lamellifera Schellenberg, 1928 , from which it differs in the longer carpus of gnathopod 1, as well as by its longer uropod 3 inner ramus. Long coxal setae are found also in the Californian species P. brevipes Shoemaker, 1942 , P. californica Stout, 1913 and P. conchicola Alderman, 1936 , but all three species have the male gnathopod 2 with a large spine on the posterodistal margin of the propodus.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study). USA. Hawaii: Oahu (J.L. Barnard 1970)

Figures

FIGURE 13. Photis aina Barnard, 1970, male, 2.5 mm, AM P71406, Yonge Reef, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 14. Photis aina Barnard, 1970, male, 2.5 mm, female 2.6 mm, AM P71406, Yonge Reef, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.