Stylopallene tubirostris Clark, 1963

Staples, David A., 2014, A reassessment of the pycnogonid genus Stylopallene (Arthropoda, Callipallenidae) with description of a new genus, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 72, pp. 121-129 : 124

Stylopallene tubirostris Clark, 1963

Stylopallene tubirostris . Clark, 1963: 40-42 — Child, 1975: 15- 16 — Staples, 1997: 1055 — Bamber, 2005: 334 — Arango and Brenneis, 2013: 431

Siphopallene tubirostris Stock, 1968: 45-46

Siphopallene tubirostrum Stock, 1973b: 96

Remarks. The leg span is typically about 25 mm. The lateral processes are either touching or narrowly separated at their bases. The first and second processes are often more widely spaced than the remainder. Clark (1963) recorded the length of the cephalon as being equal to the remaining three segments but in the specimens examined the cephalon is clearly longer ( fig. 3A). The syringe-like distal part of the proboscis is about as long as the basal part and terminates in three short, chitinous jaws. The abdomen is longer and narrower than figured by Clark (1963 fig. 21 A). The oviger spines are variably compound with 4-5 teeth mainly confined to the upper margin. One male examined carried 15 eggs on a single oviger.

This species has been recorded on the arborescent bryozoans Amathia tortuosa Tenison-Woods, 1880 and A. woodsi Goldstein, 1879 .

Anecdotal evidence suggests that this species is most common in eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales.

Distribution. Yanchep Reef, Esperance Bay, Western Australia to Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and Bass Strait, Tasmania. Tide pools to 65m depth.

Discussion. The body markings of S. tubirostris are much the same as in S. longicauda and S. cheilorhynchus but distinguished by a black shoulder band or saddle that runs through the ocular tubercle and by the dark chelifore scapes ( fig. 3A, E). The cephalon is otherwise a pale colour. By and large the markings are constant and provide a useful initial diagnostic character.

Along with other species of Stylopallene some specimens have been described as having a pink tinge although this can often be attributed to epiphytic coralline algae ( fig. 3E).