Byblis levis, Myers, Alan A., 2012

Myers, Alan A., 2012, Amphipoda (Crustacea) from Palau, Micronesia: Families Ampeliscidae, Ampithoidae, Aoridae, Colomastigidae and Cyproideidae, ZooKeys 193, pp. 1-25 : 4-5

Byblis levis sp. n. Figures 3-4

Type material.

Holotype female, 2.5 mm. OUMNH.ZC.2002-24-0079, Inside Pinchers, bait trap sample, sandy callianasid flat, 3 m depth; 07°20.407'N, 134°25.755'E; leg. S. De Grave & C. Burras, night 27 th– 28th May 2002.

Paratypes. 1 female, OUMNH.ZC.2002-24-0080, Malakal Channel, light trap sample, 2 m deep; 07°17.448'N, 134°28.070'E; leg. S. De Grave & C. Burras, night 21 th– 22th May 2002.

Etymology.

Latin levis = lightly armed. In reference to the rather sparse setae of this species compared with other members of the genus

Description.

Based on female holotype. 2.5 mm.

Head. Head less than one and a half times as long as deep, anteroventral margin oblique. Eyes, two pairs each with a cuticular lens; lenses with strong brown pigment patches around or near them. Antenna 1 about half body length; peduncular article 2 more than twice times length of article 1; flagellum with 17 articles, reaching well beyond end of peduncular article 5 of antenna 2. Antenna 2 equal to body length, peduncular article 4 a little longer than article 5, flagellum with 24 articles.

Pereon. Gnathopods 1-2 coxa distally rounded without notch. Pereopods 3-4 dactylus shorter than propodus. Pereopod 5 basis posteroproximal margin with weak lobe. Pereopod 7 basis posterodistal lobe reaching beyond ischium, weakly scalloped and bearing setae on distal and anterior margins; propodus slender, parallel-sided, dactylus spine-like.

Pleon.Epimera 1-3 rounded. Uropod 3 rami broadly lanceolate, inner margins proximally excavate and serrate. Telson one and a half times as long as broad, cleft to two fifths its length, distal margins broadly rounded

Male.

Unknown

Remarks.

Species of Byblis are only occasionally reported from shallow water, being characteristically found in depths of 20-300 metres. Byblis species are rather uniform in design, with character states being found in myriad combinations. This makes it difficult to assign Byblis species to groups and therefore difficult to compare a new species with existing species, since each species shares a different suite of characters with different species. The antennal length, distally rounded coxa 1-3, pereopod 7 basis shape and position and number of robust setae on the carpus and propodus, the rather short uropod 2, the slender, elongate uropod 3 rami, and the telson lacking dis tal setae, when taken in combination distinguish Byblis levis sp. n. from all other described species. The possibility cannot be excluded that the material examined my not be fully mature. This could explain the scarcity of setae in the material.

Habitat.

Sand flats in shallow water.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.