Ampelisca katoomba, Poore & Lowry, 2023

Poore, Gary C. B. & Lowry, James K., 2023, New Australian Species of Ampeliscidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Great Barrier Reef and Eastern Australia with a Key to Australian Species, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 75 (4), pp. 519-533 : 525-526

Ampelisca katoomba sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:06D290FB-969E-4E1E-BE56-406D48286398

Fig. 3

Holotype: AM P.85993, female (carcass lost, 4 microscope slides present, length unknown). Australia, New South Wales, E of Wollongong , 34°24'S 151°19'E, 278 m, 13 Dec 1978 (stn K78-27-08).

Description of holotype. Head. Head 1.2 times as long as deep; anteroventral margin oblique, at 45 degrees; eyes present, with 2 pairs with cuticular lenses. Antenna 1 short, much shorter than peduncle of antenna 2 (reaching midlength of antenna 2 article 5); peduncular article 2 1.5 times length of article 1. Mandible palp article 2 tapering distally.

Pereon. Coxae 1–3 each with small posteroventral hooks. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterior margin straight, anteroventral corner not produced. Pereopod 4 merus 2.8 times as long as wide, with setose margins; dactylus twice as long as propodus. Pereopod 6 basis anterior margin with prominent rounded angle, with 2 long, plumose setae; ischium-dactylus 1.6 times as long as basis. Pereopod 7 basis distal margin reaching half-length of ischium, transverse, distal margin densely setose; ischium longer than merus; merus anterior lobe slightly produced along anterior margin of carpus; carpus short (about as long as broad), carpus anterior lobe overlapping one-quarter length of propodus; propodus inflated; dactylus lanceolate.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 with anteroventral hooked seta. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner with small tubercle. Epimeron 3 ventral margin convex, posteroventral corner with small sharp triangular tooth under straight posterior margin. Urosomite 1 with prominent asymmetrical carina. Urosomites 2–3 dorsal margin with high triangular crest having low anterior elevation. Uropod 1 reaching beyond base of uropod 2 rami. Uropod 2 inner ramus upper margin with 6 short robust setae, lower margin with 2 robust setae; outer ramus with 1 long subterminal robust seta, upper margin with 2 short robust setae, outer margin with 6 short robust setae. Uropod 3 inner ramus broadly lanceolate, upper margin with 1 seta, lower margin with distal setae; outer ramus 3 times as long as wide, distal upper margin with 12 long, plumose setae. Telson 1.25 times as long as wide, deeply cleft (70%), lateral margins evenly convex, with sublateral ridge bearing few setae; with pair of posterior triangular teeth separated from lateral margins by shallow notches bearing 2 pairs of subapical setae.

Distribution. Australia, New South Wales, slope, 278 m (known only from type locality).

Remarks. Ampelisca katoomba sp. nov. from the New South Wales slope was not included in the list of species from southeastern Australia described by Lowry & Poore (1985). Following their key to species leads to A. australis Haswell, 1879 , which differs in having antenna 1 reaching the end of article 4 of antenna 2 (exceeding this point in A. katoomba sp. nov.), much longer tooth below a convex posterior margin on epimeron 3 (small tooth, straight posterior margin), a longer distal margin on the basis of pereopod 7 (more rounded posterodistally) and a prominent keel on fused urosomites 2–3. Such a urosomite keel is unique among Australian species.

Figures

Figure 3. Ampelisca katoomba sp. nov., holotype, female, AM P.85993.