Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901

SHIH, CHANG-TAI & HENDRYCKS, ED A., 2003, A new species and new records of the genus Vibilia Milne Edwards, 1830 (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea: Vibiliidae) occurring in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Journal of Natural History 37 (3), pp. 253-296 : 275-278

Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901

( figures 5–7 )

Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901: 121–123 , pl. 11, figures 6 –18.

Materials examined. See table 3.

Description of female. Head length 0.7 times height, slightly shorter than pereonites 1 and 2 combined; nearly rectangular when viewed laterally. Rostrum short, about one-eighth as long as remainder of head. Eyes large, well packed with ocelli, elongate reniform, height slightly more than twice (1.3 times in male) length which is about one-third (about one-half in male) as long as head. Antenna 1 slightly longer than combined length of head and pereonite 1, flagellum length three times peduncle and twice height. Mandible with left lacinia mobilis about 0.8 times as wide as incisor, with 13 evenly spaced short teeth on distal margin; right lacinia mobilis narrow and bent, perpendicular to lateral margins of incisor, distal margin forked; accessory spine row with 13–14 slender spines; molar narrow, strongly triturative; palp three-segmented, distal segment sickle-shaped, about as long as the second segment. Upper lip deeply incised, asymmetric. Lower lip outer lobes broad, tilted, mediodistally with small sharp point. Maxilla 2 lobes distinctly separate, subequal, triangular-shaped, setose. Maxilla 1 outer plate rectangular, with about seven spine teeth and four to five slender spines at mediodistal corner; inner plate ovate, small; palp uniarticulate, slender, distal two-thirds setose. Maxilliped with fused inner lobes rising to about 0.25 times the length of the outer lobes; outer lobes crescent-shaped, inner margin straight with small teeth, outer margin semilunar, smooth, with six fine setae.

Body robust and heavy. Pereon 1.6 times as long as pleon, height increasing posteriorly, pereonite 7 about 1.5 times as high as pereonite 1. Coxae increasing in length from pereonite 1 to 4, then decreasing to 7; ventral margin of coxae 5–7 with a notch in mid-length. Pereopod 1 simple, basis stout, with strong bulge on mid anterior margin, propus with posterior margin finely serrated and distal margin as wide as dactyl. Pereopod 2 subchelate, carpal process reaching slightly beyond middle of propus, merus with strong and evenly spaced setae along entire posterior margin. Pereopod 5 about 1.3 times as long as pereopod 3, basis 1.1 times as long as ischium and merus combined, propus three-quarters as long as merus and carpus combined and as long as basis. Pereopod 6 carpus, anterior margin with seven or eight short spines. Pereopod 7 with complete segmentation, basis 0.8 times as long as ischium to dactyl combined, posterior margin rounded, posterodistal corner not strongly expanded, reaching distal margin of ischium; carpus and propus produced at anterodistal corner, minutely scaled, dactyl knife-shaped, covered in minute scales.

Pleon about 2.4 times as long as urosome, pleonites 1 and 2 subequal in length and slightly shorter than pleonite 3. Posterodistal corner of pleonite 1 rounded, of pleonite 2 slightly produced ventrally; posterior margin of pleonite 3 indented at upper third and produced ventrally, with a rounded, posterodistal corner.

Urosomites 2 and 3 fused, laterodistal corners produced. Uropod 1 protopod 1.6 times as long as exopod, outer margin distally with teeth; outer and inner margins of exopod and endopod toothed. Uropod 3 protopod about equal to endopod; endopod distal margin rounded, with two terminal teeth. Telson separate from double urosomite, rounded, 1.2 times as broad as long.

Size. Female: 10.70–16.00 mm; male: 11.50–20.00 mm.

Distribution. Pacific Ocean: Japan Sea; Washington–Oregon; tropical S. Pacific. In the present study this species was found in 10 samples from 90 to 1300 m, in the area of 11°– 34°N and 107°– 119°W.

Atlantic Ocean: 49°N– 35°S; Portugal ; Bay of Biscay ; Mediterranean Sea; Azores; Canary; Bermuda .

Indian Ocean: Equatorial.

Figures

FIG. 5. Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901. Female, 11.0 mm, USNOO station M7-2C. Male, left (head), 12.0 mm, COFF station 8292. Male, right (head), 15.0 mm, USNOO station M10-7D. Scale bars=1.0 mm.

FIG. 6. Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901. Appendages of male (12.0 mm) of figure 5. Scale bars=0.1 mm.

FIG. 7. Vibilia cultripes Vosseler, 1901. Mouthparts, uropods and telson of male (12.0 mm) of figure 5. Scale bars=0.1 mm.