Kamaka silvana, Myers, 2009

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Kamakidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 487-493 : 490-492

Kamaka silvana sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 4 )

Type Material. Holotype, male, 2.4 mm, AM P70896, Ferriers Creek , Lizard Island (14 o 39’56”S 145 o 27’03”E), 50 m up mangrove creek ( Rhizophora stylosa ) kick-net (1 mm mesh), 0.5 m, C. Rakocinski & S.E. LeCroy, 25 February 2005 (QLD 1678) . Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype, AM P70896 (QLD 1678) .

Additional material examined. 100+ males & females, AM P73191 (QLD 42); 50+ males and females, AM P73190 (QLD 42); 2 males, 4 females, AM P70586 (QLD 1631) .

Type locality. Ferriers Creek , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14 o 39’56”S 145 o 27’03”E) .

Etymology. From Roman mythology, Sylvanus , the god of trees and forests, referring to the habitat of this species among mangroves.

Description. Based on holotype, male, 2.4 mm, AM P70896.

Head. Head lateral cephalic lobe very extended; eye situated entirely within lobe. Antenna 1 about one third body length; flagellum with 8 articles; accessory flagellum absent. Antenna 2 longer than antenna 1; peduncular articles 4 and 5 enlarged, unornamented; flagellum with 7 articles. Mandible palp article 3 shorter than article 2, weakly expanded distally, setae distal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 subchelate; coxa 1 larger than coxa 2; carpus longer than propodus, posterior margin with stout setae. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; carpus not lobate, enclosed by merus, about one quarter length of propodus; propodus palm broad, with deep v-shaped excavation and acute posterodistal spine, extending beyond apex of propodus; dactylus overlapping palm. Pereopod 4 coxa without posteroventral lobe. Pereopods 5–7 basis evenly expanded, posterior margin substraight.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner rounded. Urosomites 1–2 coalesced. Urosomite 3 coalesced with telson. Uropods 1–2 inner rami with marginal robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with distoventral spine. Uropod 2 peduncle without distoventral spine; outer ramus much longer than inner ramus. Uropod 3 uniramous; peduncle scarcely longer than ramus, without distomedial lobe.

Female (sexual dimorphic characters). Based on paratype, female, 2.4 mm, AM P70896. Gnathopod 2 carpus three quarters length of propodus; propodus subovoid, with neither palmar excavation nor posterodistal spine; carpus and propodus with long, sparse setae along the anterior margin .

Habitat. In mud and mangrove litter, brackish.

Remarks. Kamaka silvana sp. nov. is undoubtedly very similar to K. littoralis Ren, 2006 , with which it may ultimately prove to be synonymous. Material from the Great Barrier Reef differs from K. littoralis in the much less proximal position of the spine on the posterior margin of the male gnathopod 2. This spine, however, is known to migrate proximally with age. Present material is 2.4 mm and that of Ren is 2.7 mm, so Ren’s material may simply be more mature. Present material also differs, however, in a few other subtle ways, such as in the short distoventral spur on uropod 1 as opposed to a long distoventral spine in K. littoralis , and in the more elongate carpus and propodus of the male gnathopod 1. For the moment, present material is allocated to a new species.

Kamaka silvana is also similar to K. taditadi Thomas & Barnard, 1991 , from Papua New Guinea. It differs markedly from that species, however, in the very reduced carpus and much longer propodus of the male gnathopod 2. Peduncular article 4 of the male antenna 2 is also much less expanded in K. silvana than it is in K. taditadi .

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Kamaka silvana sp. nov., holotype, male, 2.4 mm, AM P70896, Ferriers Creek, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 4. Kamaka silvana sp. nov., holotype, male, 2.4 mm., (b) paratype, male, 2.5 mm, paratype, female 2.4 mm., AM P70896, Ferriers Creek, L