Metaproto novaehollandiae ( Haswell, 1879a )

Takeuchi, Ichiro & Lowry, James K., 2015, A taxonomic study on the Phtisicidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of New South Wales, Australia, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 603-648 : 624-633

Metaproto novaehollandiae ( Haswell, 1879a) ( Figures 11 – 16 )

Proto Novae-Hollandiae Haswell, 1879a: 275 – 276 , pl. 12 fig. 3. – Haswell, 1882: 310 – 311. – Mayer, 1882: 26. – Haswell, 1885b: 111 – 112, pl. 18, figs 13 – 16. – Mayer, 1890: 14 – 15.

Proto novae-hollandiae . – Stebbing, 1888: 1230 – 1232. – Stebbing, 1910a: 470. – Stebbing, 1910b: 651 – 652.

Metaproto Novae-Hollandiae. – Mayer, 1903: 26 – 28, pl. 1 figs 11 – 12, pl. 6 figs 24 – 28, pl. 9 figs 3, 50.

Metaproto novaehollandiae . – McCain and Steinberg, 1970: 56. – Lowry and Stoddart, 2003: 36 (in part).

Type material

Syntypes: 1 male, AM G2566 , 33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E, Port Jackson, New South Wales; 1 male, AM P3387 , 33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E, Port Jackson, New South Wales; about 20 specimens, AM P3388 , 33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E, Port Jackson , New South Wales; 1 male, AM P46915, 33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E, Port Jackson , New South Wales; 1 mature female, AM P87331, 33°51 ʹ S, 151° 16 ʹ E, Port Jackson , New South Wales .

Additional material examined

1 male, AM G930 , 35°03 ʹ S, 150°44 ʹ E, Jervis Bay, New South Wales; 17 males and 5 females, AM P46914, 33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E, Port Jackson, New South Wales; 2 males and 1 immature female, AM P47835, 33°58.27 ʹ S, 151°09.91 ʹ E, northwest Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 13, 3.4 m depth, sand (11 – 20%), 22 November 1976, NSW State Pollution Control Commission (NSWSPCC); 1 premature female, AM P47836, 33°57.80 ʹ S, 151° 09.51 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 24, 3.0 m depth, slightly muddy sand (11 – 20%), 3 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 immature female, AM P47837, 33°58.34 ʹ S, 151°10.23 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 26, 7.0 m depth, slightly muddy sand (51 – 70%), 3 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 6 males, 3 mature females, 1 premature females, 2 immature females and 1 juvenile, AM P47838, 33°58.64 ʹ S, 151° 12.47 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 28, 7.5 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 11 males, 2 mature females and 1 immature female, AM P47839, 33°58.64 ʹ S, 151°12.47 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 28, 7.5 m depth, slightly muddy sand (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 12 males, 5 mature females and 2 premature females, AM P47840, 33°58.65 ʹ S, 151° 12.36 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 29, 7.5 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 8 males, 9 mature females and 1 immature female, 33°58.74 ʹ S, 151°12.50 ʹ E, AM P47841, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 35, 7.5 m depth, mud (21 – 30%), 12 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 23 males, 15 mature females and 2 premature females, AM P47842, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, 33°58.86 ʹ S, 151°12.38 ʹ E, Stn 36, 7.6 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 13 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 3 mature females, AM P47843, 33°58.78 ʹ S, 151°12.27 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 37, 8.0 m depth, mud (31 – 50%), 13 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 male, AM P47844, 33°58.41 ʹ S, 151°11.9 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 40, 7.0 m depth, muddy sand (31 – 50%), 13 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 6 males, 3 mature females and 2 immature females, AM P47845, 33°58.95 ʹ S, 151°12.30 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 41, 8.0 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 20 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 6 males, 7 mature females and 1 juvenile, AM P47846, 33°58.98 ʹ S, 151°12.44 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 42, 8.0 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 20 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 mature female, AM P47847, 33°58.45 ʹ S 151°10.33 ʹ E, northwest Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 46, 6.7 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 6 January 1971, NSWSPCC; 1 male, AM P47848, 33°58.37 ʹ S, 151°10.79 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 47, 5.0 m depth, sand (0 – 10%), 11 January 1977, NSWSPCC; 1 male, AM P47849, 33° 59.15 ʹ S, 151°09.27 ʹ E, east of Ramgate , Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 48, 4.5 m depth, mud (71 – 90%), 11 January 1977, NSWSPCC; 5 males, 7 mature females, AM P47851, 34°00.11 ʹ S, 151°12.85 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 65, 5.0 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 24 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 4 males and 10 mature females, AM P47852, 33°59.30 ʹ S, 151°2.64 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 81, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 1 male, AM P47854, 33°59.99 ʹ S, 151°12.02 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 84, 4.5 m, depth, sand (0 – 10% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 2 males, 2 mature females, 3 premature females, 1 immature female and 2 juveniles, AM P47855, 34°00.03 ʹ S, 151°12.30 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 85, 5.0 m, depth, sand (0 – 10% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 2 males and 1 mature female, AM P47856, 33°59.58 ʹ S, 151°12.93 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 86, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (21 – 30% mud), 4 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 4 males, AM P47857, 33°59.37 ʹ S, 151°12.75 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 88, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 4 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 2 males and 1 mature female, AM P47858, 33°59.52 ʹ S, 151°12.55 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 96, 12.8 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 10 March 1977, NSWSPCC; 1 male, P84635 (SEM pin MI354), 33°58.64 ʹ S, 151°12.47 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 28, 7.5 m depth, slightly muddy sand (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 male P84636 (SEM pin MI355), 33°58.64 ʹ S, 151°12.47 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 28, 7.5 m depth, slightly muddy sand (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 male, P84637 (SEM pin MI353), 33°58.65 ʹ S, 151°12.36 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 29, 7.5 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 male, P84638 (SEM pins MI357 and MI358), 33° 58.65 ʹ S, 151°12.36 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 29, 7.5 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 mature female, AM P84639 (SEM pin MI356), 33°58.65 ʹ S, 151°12.36 ʹ E, northeast Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 29, 7.5 m depth, mud (51 – 70%), 7 December 1976, NSWSPCC; 1 male, P85982, 33° 59.30 ʹ S, 151°2.64 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 81, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 3 males, P85983, 33° 59.30 ʹ S, 151°2.64 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 81, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC; 1 mature female, P85985, 33°59.30 ʹ S, 151°2.64 ʹ E, east Botany Bay , New South Wales, Stn 81, 19.2 m, depth, muddy sand (31 – 50% mud), 2 February 1977, NSWSPCC .

Type locality

Port Jackson , New South Wales (33°51 ʹ S, 151°16 ʹ E) .

Other records

New South Wales: Jervis Bay and Botany Bay , New South Wales . Queensland: North Stradbroke Island ( Guerra-García 2006) .

Description

Based on male, body length 10.68 mm, AM P46915 and male, 9.12 mm, AM P85982, for pereopod 6. Head and pereonite 1 combined length 1.00 mm; pereonite 2, 1.35 mm; pereonite 3, 1.65 mm; pereonite 4, 1.88 mm; pereonite 5, 2.44 mm; pereonite 6, 1.91 mm; pereonite 7, 0.44 mm.

Head and pereonites slender. Head smooth, not rounded dorsally; eye large, distinctive; head/pereonite 1 slightly concave along dorsal margin; with weak dorsodistal projection.

Antenna 1 slender; 0.4 × body length; peduncle article 2 longest; peduncular article 3 straight; flagellum 0.4 × peduncular length, with eight articles; proximal article result of fusion of two articles. Antenna 2 slender; 0.5 × antenna 1 length; peduncle with several feeble setae; flagellum about 0.25 × peduncular length, with three articles.

Upper lip notched, forming shallow quadrilateral projections. Mandible right side incisor with five teeth; lacinia mobilis with four large teeth; accessory setal row with seven setae; palp article 2 with three setae; palp article 3 setal formula 1 – 7 – 1 – 0; left side incisor with six teeth; lacinia mobilis with two reverse-trapezoid plates; accessory setal row with one bundled seta and seven setae; palp article 2 with six lateral setae; palp article 3 setal formula 1 – 5 – 1 – 1. Lower lip finely setose on inner and outer lobes. Maxilla 1 outer plate with six stout apical setal-teeth; palp distal margin with four triangular projections, each with one slender seta. Maxilla 2 inner plate triangular with seven apical robust setae; outer plate elongate with five apical setae. Maxilliped inner plate (basal endite) round, with one large and two small nodular setae; outer plate (ischial endite) oval, subequal to inner plate (basal endite), with seven setae on inner margin; palp article 2 scarcely setose on inner margin; palp article 3 not expanded, four distal setae; palp article 4 falcate.

Pereon. Pereonite 2 with weak anterior lateral projection; pereonite 5 longest.

Gnathopod 1 carpus and propodus setose; propodus triangular, with four rows of submarginal setae distally; palm begins about 1/3 along posterior margin, smooth, with three robust setae (one large and two small) near corner of palm; dactylus curved. Gnathopod 2 begins 0.3 along anterior margin; gill elongate, about 6 × width, about 2/3 × pereonite length; coxa vestigial; basis 0.7 × pereonite length; carpus 0.1 × propodus length; propodus subovate, massive, length 1.5 × width, anterodistal margin convex; palm proximal projection with three robust (one large and two small) setae, palm margin convex, crumpled, with broad well developed distal shelf.

Pereopod 3 very slender; gill length about 2/3 × corresponding pereonite, basal part curved posteriorly; basis to carpus straight, cylindrical; basis longer than other pereopod articles, 2/5 × pereopod length; propodus with well developed distal palm; palm with three robust setae near palmar corner; dactylus falcate. Pereopod 4 very slender; shorter than pereopod 3; gill length about 1/2 × pereonite length, middle part curved posteriorly; basis slightly expanded distally; merus posterior margin concave; propodus palm expanded 1/3 from the proximal end; palm with four robust setae guarding corner. Pereopod 5 slender; articulation between articles 1 and 2 oblique; dactylus medium length, falcate, without setae. Pereopod 6 propodus longest followed by basis, merus and carpus; carpus setose on inner margin; propodus with two pairs of setae on posterior margin, with three robust setae along palm; dactylus falcate.

Pleon. Uropod 1, peduncle, very short, about 2/3 width; ramus length about 4 – 5 × width, 4 × peduncular length.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on female, body length, 6.06 mm, AM P87331 and female, 4.83 mm, AM P85984, for pereopod 7. Length of head and pereonite 1 combined length 0.67 mm, and pereonites 2–7, 0.73 mm, 0.64 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.42 mm, 1.12 mm and 0.32 mm, respectively. Gnathopod 2 carpus 0.14 × propodus length; propodus elongate (subrectangular), 2.6 × width; palm margin straight, smooth, without distal shelf, with one small triangular projection distally, with tiny midpalmar projection. Pereopods 3–4 propodus without distal palm and robust setae. Pereopod 7 similar to male pereopod 7.

Remarks

The syntypes of the present species deposited in the Australian Museum consisted of three samples, registered as P3387, P3388 and G2556. Although the sample registered as P3388 contains about 20 specimens, all specimens except for two dissected ones, were once dried up. A male and a mature female from the sample registered as P3387 were redescribed and illustrated for the present study under the new register numbers of AM P46915 and AM P87331.

The morphology of gnathopod 2 of larger males is unique within the Phtisicidae . The macrobenthic infaunal survey of Botany Bay by NSWSPCC during 1976 to 1977 contained about 200 individuals of M. novaehollandiae which were originally identified as “ Metaproto haswelliana ” in the catalogue of the Australian Museum and this named species was listed in the project studying effects of dredging on the macrobenthic infauna of Botany Bay ( Jones and Candy 1981). Close examination of these individuals from Botany Bay shows the morphological development of gnathopod 2 during growth ( Figures 15 and 16 ). In males smaller than 9.0 mm in body length and in the females of all stages, the characteristics of the propodus are typical of the family. In smaller males, the palm between the grasping robust setae followed by two smaller subgrasping robust setae and the distal end is slightly convex with no crumpled parts near the palm ( Figure 16 ). The features of the propodus in females are similar to those of smaller males, but in mature males larger than around 8.0 mm body length, the propodus of the gnathopod 2 becomes massive. The widest part of the palm is about 2/3 the length of the palm; the lateral part of the propodus is extended into a curving edge covering about 2/3 of the lateral side of the palm and the lateral part between the curving edge and the palm forms several crumpled lines ( Figure 16 ). The morphology of the propodus of gnathopod 2 is likely to change largely in just one moult.

In addition to this unique sexual dimorphism in gnathopod 2, in males, the propodus of pereopods 3 and 4 carries three to four robust setae on the middle of the shallow convex palm, while females have a straight palmar face on the propodus of the pereopods.

As in Hircella cornigera ( Haswell, 1879b) , article numbers in the flagellum of antenna 2 increase from two to three during growth ( Figure 15 ). In males collected from Botany Bay by NSWSPCC, all males larger than 4.0 mm in body length possess a 3-articulate flagellum, while in females article numbers increase from two to three at around 4 – 6 mm in body length.

In addition to New South Wales, Australia, Metaproto novaehollandiae has been reported from tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific: Banda Sea ( Mayer 1903), Philippines ( Guerra-García 2002), Phuket, Thailand ( Guerra-García 2004b), New Caledonia ( Laubitz 1991), Papua New Guinea (Guerra-García 2003), Northern Territory and northern coast of Western Australia, Australia ( Guerra-García 2004a) and Queensland, Australia (Guerra- García 2006; Guerra-García and Lowry 2009).

Close observation of NSWSPCC specimens shows that the numbers of articles in the flagellum of antenna 2 are restricted to two to three even in the larger mature males having the massive type propodus of gnathopod 2 ( Figure 15 ). Mayer (1903) reported five articles in the flagellum on the male from Banda Sea. The lateral view of M. novaehollandiae from the tropical Indo-Pacific area in Guerra-García (2002, 2003, 2004a, 2004b, 2006, García and Lowry 2009) shows article numbers ranging from 2 to 4 (or 5).

The propodus of gnathopod 2 figured in Laubitz (1991) and Guerra-García (2002, 2003, 2004a, 2004b, 2006) is rather elongated as in typical species of Phtisicidae . However, as far as we know, there are no taxonomic descriptions on M. novaehollandiae from tropical areas of Indo-Pacific referring to the massive propodus of gnathopod 2.

The morphological diversity in antenna 2 and in the propodus of gnathopod 2 of M. novaehollandiae from tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific indicates the presence of multiple species differing from the M. novaehollandiae of New South Wales. In our opinion M. novaehollandiae reported from areas outside New South Wales, especially tropical waters, needs to be reanalysed. Hence, we do not include the records of M. novaehollandiae in the tropical region of the Indo-Pacific (( Mayer 1903; Laubitz 1991, Guerra-García 2002, 2003, 2004a, 2004b, 2006; Guerra-García and Lowry 2009) in the synomym list. Recently, Takeuchi and Oyamada (2013) studied in detail Caprella californica Stimpson, 1857 [sensu lato] which is widely distributed on both sides of the North Pacific as a common species, and reported that the differences of Japanese C. californica [sensu lato] from California ones are at species level. In their opinion the Japanese species identified as C. californica [sensu lato] is actually Caprella scauroides Mayer, 1903 .

Figures

Figure 11. Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Port Jackson, New South Wales. Male, syntype, 10.68 mm, AM P46915; female, syntype, 6.06 mm, AM P87331. Bar indicates 1.0 mm.

Figure 12. Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Port Jackson and Botany Bay, New South Wales. Male, syntype, 10.68 mm, AM P46915, A2, P3, P4, P5, ABD (V); male, 9.12 mm, AM P85982, P6. Bar in ABD (V) indicates 0.10 mm and those in A2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 indicate 0.50 mm.

Figure 13. Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Port Jackson, New South Wales. Male, syntype, 10.68 mm, P 46915. Bars indicate 0.10 mm.

Figure 14. Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Port Jackson and Botany Bay, New South Wales. Female, syntype, 6.06 mm, AM P87331, G2, P3, P4, ABD (V); female, 4.83 mm, AM P85984, P7. Bar in ABD (V) indicates 0.10 mm and those in G2, P3, P4 and P7 indicate 0.20 mm.

Figure 15. Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Botany Bay, New South Wales. (A) Number of articles in the flagellum of antenna 2 against the body length. (B) Ontogenetic change of propodus of gnathopod 2, i.e., normal type to robust type (see Figure 16) against the body length.

Figure 16. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation on ontogenetic change of gnathopod 2 in Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a) from Botany Bay, New South Wales. (A) Normal type of propodus of gnathopod 2 of a male, 5.06 mm, AM P84634. (B) and (C) Robust type of propodus of gnathopod 2 of a male, 9.57 mm, AM P84638. Since the SEM photos were taken at the Australian Museum after 36 years from the collection, lateral parts of propodus and dactylus of both individuals might be shrunken.