Saurodocus minimarenus Yerman & Krapp-Schickel, 2008

Krapp-Schickel, Traudl, 2009, Maeridae, the Ceradocus group *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 598-642 : 638

Saurodocus minimarenus Yerman & Krapp-Schickel, 2008

( Figs 26 , 27 )

Saurodocus minimarenus Yerman & Krapp-Schickel, 2008: 61 , figs 1, 2.

Type material. Holotype, female, 1.2 mm, (slide), AM P77560, reef crest off Coconut Beach , Lizard Island (14°41.037’S 145°28.282’E), patches of coarse coral sand between reef, 2.6 m, M. Yerman, 23 February 2005 ( QLD 1620 ).

Type locality. Coconut Beach , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.037’S 145°28.282’E) .

Description. Based on holotype, female, 1.2 mm, AM P77560.

Head. Head with anteroventral corner rounded; without notch or slit; eyes round. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncle rather strong; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 8 articles; accessory flagellum minute, with 2 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 gland cone not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 3 globular; article 4 subequal to longer than article 5; flagellum with 5 articles. Mandible palp inner margin of article 1 weakly produced distally, article 2 longer than article 3, article 3 longer than article 1, with 2 lateral setae, 3 smooth distal setae and many shorter setae along the surface. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 3 distal setae. Maxilla 2 inner plate with marginal setae, without oblique setal row. Maxilliped inner plate not reaching basis of outer plate, which is about the same length.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin convex; carpus 0.6 x length of propodus, triangular, shorter than propodus; palm nearly transverse and defined by posterodistal corner. Gnathopod 2 carpus triangular, shorter than propodus; propodus similar to that of gnathopod 1, but narrower and lacking palmar corner, anterior and posterior margins with setae. Pereopods 3–7 dactyli without anterodistal spine. Pereopods 5–7 slender, with few short setae, basis posterior margin smooth.

Pleon. Pleonite 1 dorsally smooth. Pleonite 2 with dorsal spine. Pleonite 3 dorsally smooth. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute or subacute spine. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin distally with some small teeth. Urosomite 1 with long dorsal spine. Urosomite 2 posterior margin smooth. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae. Uropods 1–2 peduncle longer than rami. Uropod 3 rami 6.5 x longer than broad, distally acute or subacute, lanceolate. Telson quadrangular, deeply cleft; longer than broad with 2 short, subapical robust setae on each lobe, no lateral setation.

Male (sexually dimorphic characters). Unknown.

Habitat. Living in coarse coral sand among coral reef at 2.6 m. Probably interstitial.

Remarks. Saurodocus minimarenus differs from S. hobbit in the following main characters: gnathopod 2 propodus is half as long as wide as that of S. hobbit ; pleon with dorsal spines (smooth in S. hobbit ).

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (Yerman & Krapp 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 26. Saurodocus minimarenus Yerman & Krapp-Schickel, 2008, holotype, female, 1.2 mm, AM P77560, reef crest off Coconut Beach, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 27. Saurodocus minimarenus Yerman & Krapp-Schickel, 2008, holotype, female, 1.2 mm, AM P77560, reef crest off Coconut Beach, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.