Globosolembos longispinosus Ren, 2006

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Aoridae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 220-278 : 260-263

Globosolembos longispinosus Ren, 2006

( Figs 31 , 32 )

Globosolembos longispinosus Ren, 2006: 365 , fig. 154.

Lembos sp. Myers, 1985a: 365 , fig. 335.

Globosolembos ruffoi — Myers, 1988b: 327, fig. 54 (not G. ruffoi Myers, 1975: 22 , figs 68–75). — Myers, 1995, 35, fig. 7.

Material examined. 1 male, 5.5 mm, AM P70590 (QLD 1622); 1 unsexed, P75471 (QLD 1622) .

Type locality. Yalong Bay , Sanya, Hainan Province, China (~ 18 o 14’N 109 o 29’E) .

Description. Based on male, 5.5 mm, AM P70590.

Head. Head lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate. Antenna 1 flagellum with 21 or more articles; accessory flagellum multiarticulate. Antenna 2 with moderately profuse long setae. Lower lip with fine setae and stout setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 long pectinate apical seta. Mandible, palp article 3 subequal to 2, posterior margin weakly falcate, posterior margin with setae of more than two distinct lengths.

Pereon. Pereonites 2–7 with sternal spines, acute on segment 2, apically rounded on segments 3–7. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in both sexes; coxa elongate and shallow, weakly produced anterodistally, rounded; basis robust, half or more as broad as long, anterodistal margin with strong flange; ischium anterior margin without flange, posterior margin with few setae; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with few setae, without posterodistal spine; carpus a little over half length of propodus, anterior margin without spine; posterior margin without spines; propodus anterior margin moderately setiferous, posterior margin straight and weakly scalloped, palm evenly convex, delimited from posterior margin, defined by strong posterodistal spine, with robust seta, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus more than half length of propodus, fitting palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin with flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few setae along length of basis; merus not enlarged or produced away from carpus; carpus subequal with propodus, anterior margin not lobate, with long setae; carpus and propodus anterior margin with long dense setae, palm with robust seta defining palm. Pereopod 3 without brush of long setae on merus. Pereopod 6 basis not produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 less than 125% length of pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 rami distinctly unequal, peduncle much longer than broad, distoventral spine much longer than peduncle and subequal in length with outer ramus. Uropod 2 biramous; peduncle with distoventral spine much longer than peduncle and longer than outer ramus. Uropod 3 biramous, peduncle with inner distal margin produced into a triangular spine, rami distinctly unequal, endopod almost twice length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on female, 5.0 mm, AM P75471. Sternal spines absent. Gnathopods 1–2 coxa a little deeper than that of male.

Habitat. Among coral rubble.

Remarks. This species is very close to G. ruffoi Myers, 1975 . It is characterised by the presence of an extremely long distoventral spine on uropods 1–2, that is equal to, or exceeds the length, of the outer ramus. No other aorid amphipod is known to have such an excessively long distoventral spine. The peduncle of uropod 3 has a spine at the inner distal margin in G. longispinosus not present in G. ruffoi , and there are slight differences in the proportions of the carpus and propodus of the male gnathopods 1-2, the carpus of G. longispinosus being a little longer than that of G. ruffoi . The male gnathopod 1 palm is less convex in G. longispinosus than in G. ruffoi .

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Palfrey Island, Lizard Island (current study). China. Hainan Province: Yalong Bay, Sanya ( Ren 2006). Papua New Guinea. Madang Lagoon ( Myers 1995).

Figures

FIGURE 31. Globosolembos longispinosus Ren, 2006, male, 5.5 mm, AM P70590, off Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 32. Globosolembos longispinosus Ren, 2006, male, 5.5 mm, AM P70590, paratype, female, 5.0 mm, AM P75471, off Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.