Scolopostoma keurboomstrandensis, Lowry & Stoddart, 2012

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2012, Australian and South African conicostomatine amphipods (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Lysianassidae: Conicostomatinae subfam. nov.), Zootaxa 3248 (1), pp. 43-65 : 57-60

Scolopostoma keurboomstrandensis sp. nov.

Stomacontion prionoplax . — Griffiths, 1974: 313, fig. 15. — Griffiths, 1975: 152. — Griffiths, 1976: 59 (key), fig. 34A, 101 (list).

Type material. Holotype, SAM, off Summerstrand , Port Elizabeth, southern Cape Province coast, South Africa, 33°58’S 25°41’E, 4–11 m, rock, 24 November 1960, stn SCD 179N ; Paratype, SAM, off Keurboomstrand , Plettenberg Bay, southern Cape Province coast, South Africa, 34°02’S 23°28’E, 49 m, rock, 29 November 1960, stn SCD 244 T. [Material recorded by Griffiths, 1974 as Stomacontion prionoplax ].

Additional material. 1 specimen, False Bay , South Africa, approx. 34°S 18°E, 30–99 m [material recorded by Griffiths, 1975 as Stomacontion prionoplax ] .

Type locality. Off Summerstrand , Port Elizabeth, Southern Cape Province coast, South Africa, 33°58’S 25°41’E, 4–11 m depth .

Etymology. The species is named for one of the localities from which it was collected.

Diagnosis. Gnathopod 1 carpus subrectangular. Uropod 3 without rami. Telson emarginate.

Description. Head exposed. Body pereon and pleon without dorsal projections. Mandible accessory setal row with 6 robust setae; molar absent. Maxilla 1 palp short, 1-articulate. Maxilliped inner plate subrectangular; outer plate subovate, distomedial margin serrate, with some form of sculpturing/ornamentation; palp 4-articulate.

Coxa 1 subquadrate ventrally. Gnathopod 1 carpus longer than propodus, subrectangular, anterior margin produced anterodistally; dactylus regular simple. Gnathopod 2 dactylus present, inserted near anterodistal corner of propodus. Pereopod 7 basis, posteroventral corner rounded.

Urosomite 1 with apically acute upturned dorsal boss. Uropod 1 biramous; rami subequal in length. Uropod 2 biramous; rami subequal in length. Uropod 3 without rami. Telson emarginate.

Remarks. Griffiths (1974, 1975) recorded Scolopostoma prionoplax from three localities between False Bay and Elizabeth Bay along the southern coast of South Africa. Comparing Griffiths' illustrations and text with those of Monod (1937) there are several characters that indicate he was actually dealing with an undescribed species. In Griffiths' material the carpus of gnathopod 1 is swollen along its anterior margin with a anterodistal patch of setae (not swollen and without setae in S. prionoplax ); pereopod 7 basis has a rounded posteroventral corner (subquadrate in S. prionoplax ); uropod 3 has no ramus (a distinct vestigial ramus in S. prionoplax ); and the telson is emarginate (strongly notched in S. prionoplax ). Scolopostoma keurboomstrandensis is more similar to S. darwinensis .

Distribution. South Africa, along the southern coast from Port Elizabeth to False Bay, 4–49 m depth.