Belkginoecetes bullockyensis, Just, Jean, 2012

Just, Jean, 2012, Siphonoecetini Just, 1983 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Ischyroceridae) 10: Belkginoecetes gen. nov., Tropicoecetes gen. nov. and Rhinoecetes Just, 1983 from north-eastern and northern Australian shallow water, with eight new species, Zootaxa 3528, pp. 1-28 : 20

Belkginoecetes bullockyensis sp. nov.

Figures 12–13

Type fixation. Holotype, male, here designated.

Etymology. The species is named after Bullocky Point, the location of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Material examined. Holotype, 3, 3.3 mm, Bullocky Point, Fannie Bay, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°26’S, 130°49’E, 0.5m (LW), mud, some very fine sand and shell fragments, just inside low reef, hand dredge, J. Just, 22 August 1984, stn AU 45, MAGNT Cr004031.

Paratypes. Same data as holotype, MAGNT Cr004032 (3 3, 1 young in abode, 5 empty abodes). Bullocky Point, Fannie Bay, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°26’S, 130°49’E, 0.5m (LW), mud, some very fine sand and shell fragments, just inside low reef, hand dredge, J. Just, 18 August 1984, stn AU 42, MAGNT Cr004033 (1 young, 2 abodes).

Description (holotype, 3). Head as long as pereonites 1 and 2/3 of 2 combined along dorsal midline. Rostrum slightly down curved in lateral view; slender, acutely pointed in dorsal view, reaching beyond apices of eye lobes with nearly entire length. Eye lobes tapering to blunt point in lateral view, lower anterior margin with single simple seta; rectangularly pointed in dorsal view.

Antenna 1 as long as head and pereonites 1–4 combined, reaching apex of antenna 2 peduncle article 4; flagellum of 5+ articles, slightly longer than peduncle articles 2 and 3 combined. Antenna 2 as long as head, pereon and pleonites 1 and 2 combined; ventral projection of peduncle article 2 triangular, base width 0.8 greatest length, with short fringe of long setae laterally; articles 3 and 4 ventrally with spaced groups of 1–3 short and long setae, article 5 length 0.9 of 4, ventrally with dense row of long and short setae; flagellum articles 1 and 2 with long, slender, straight robust setae laterally and medially.

Mouthparts, mandible palp not observed.

Gnathopod 1 propodus length 3.0 width, with 2 midposterior robust setae. Gnathopod 2 propodus length 2.0 greatest width. Pereopods 3–4 basis with open row of long setae in proximal part of anterior margin, single long seta on lateral surface; merus with a few midanterior long setae, with scattered long and short setae along posterior margin. Pereopods 5–6 basis with a few long setae in distal half of anterior margin and a couple of shorter setae most distally.

Uropod 1 peduncle with 2–3 small dorsolateral simple setae; outer ramus 4.5 times longer than wide, approximately 0.6 length of peduncle, lateral margin with 2 robust setae; inner ramus 0.8 length of outer ramus, slightly tapering towards apex. Uropod 3 distolaterally with 2 long simple setae on bulge, mediodistally with 2 short simple setae. Telson width 1.4 length, apex evenly rounded.

Female. Not known.

Size. Largest 3, 3.3 mm.

Colour and biology. Body generally colourless transparent, white pigment shining through on both sides of midline. Head dorsally whitish-sandy between eyes. Antenna 2 peduncle articles 3 and 4 whitish in distal half. Specimens occupy microprosobranch shells. Construction of the external tube differs from other species of Belkginoecetes in that it is built parallel along the mollusc shell ( Fig. 12 ab) rather than at a more or less right angle to it (e.g. Fig. 2 ab).

Distribution. Off Bullocky Point, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, 0.5 m at LW.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Belkginoecetes cooee gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3, except ab, paratype in abode, and a 2 and a 2 flag, possibly but not verifiably antenna 2 of holotype with enlargement of flagellum. c dv and c lv, head dorsal and lateral views; el, eyelobe dorsal view; vp, ventral projection of article 2 of antenna 2. Habitus and a 2 scale: 1 mm; abode scale: 2 mm.

FIGURE 12. Belkginoecetes bullockyensis gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3, except ab, paratype in abode. a 2 flag, antenna 2 flagellum; c dv and c lv, head dorsal and lateral view; vp, ventral projection of article 2 of antenna 2. Habitus scale: 1 mm; abode scale: 2 mm.

FIGURE 13. Belkginoecetes bullockyensis gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3. gp 1 and gp 2, gnathopods 1 and 2; p 4 and p 6, pereopods 4 and 6; us, urosome.