Valettiopsis

Hendrycks, Ed A., 2007, A new species of Valettiopsis Holmes, 1908 (Crustacea: Gammaridea: Lysianassoidea) from abyssal waters off California, Zootaxa 1501, pp. 45-56 : 55

Key to species of Valettiopsis

1 Pereonites and pleonites 1–3 with dorsal carination.................................................................................... 2

- Pereonites and pleonites 1–3 smooth, lacking dorsal carination ................................................................. 3

2 Carinations present on all pereonites and pleonites 1–3; integument sculptured; head with a dorsal bump; coxa 2, anterior margin concave; coxa 5, anterior lobe narrow; pereopod 7 basis, posterodistal margin concave, posterodistal corner with cluster of 3–5 strong robust setae ............................ V. concava sp. nov.

- Carinations commencing on pereonite 5 and pleonites 1–3; integument lacking sculpture; head, dorsally smooth; coxa 2, anterior margin straight to slightly convex; coxa 5, anterior lobe broadly rounded; pereopod 7 basis, posterodistal margin obliquely truncated, posterodistal corner with a single robust seta ......... ................................................................................................................ V. multidentata J.L. Barnard, 1961

3 Gnathopod 2, propodus robust, widening distally, length 2 x width, palm short, oblique and convex, palm defined abruptly from palmer corner and not reaching posterior margin, dactyl short, length about 0.75 x distal margin of propodus ......................................................................... V. macrodactyla Chevreux, 1909

- Gnathopod 2, propodus not as above........................................................................................................... 4

4 Gnathopod 2, propodus elongate, length> 3.5 x width, pereopods 5–7 basis, posterodistal corner with small round lobe; coxa 4, with strong posterodistal lobe; pereopods 6–7, carpus equals propodus in length; maxilliped inner plate, distal margin concave, sloped towards the medial margin ..................................... 5

- Gnathopod 2, propodus not elongate, length <2.5 x width; pereopods 5–7 basis, posterodistal corner with weak lobe (only on pereopod 5) or lacking lobe; coxa 4, with weak posterodistal lobe; pereopods 6–7, carpus distinctly shorter than propodus; maxilliped inner plate, distal margin not concave, not sloped ......... 6

5 Antenna 1, peduncular article 1 with posterodistal tooth; lateral cephalic head lobe broadly triangular, apex subacute; gnathopod 2, palm oblique, dactyl overlapping palm; dactyls of pereopods 3–7 long, straight; uropod 3 outer ramus, article 2 0.26 x article 1 ................................. V. longidactyla Horton, 2004

- Antenna 1, peduncular article 1 lacking tooth; lateral cephalic head lobe round; gnathopod 2, palm strongly oblique, dactyl shorter than palm; dactyls of pereopods 3–7 short, slightly curved; uropod 3 outer ramus, article 2 very short, 0.08 x article 1 ......................................... * V. ruffoi Serejo & Wakabara, 2003

6 Gnathopod 1, carpus length <propodus; pereopod 5 basis, strongly expanded, posterior margin broadly convex....................................................................................................................... V. minuta Horton, 2004

- Gnathopod 1, carpus length> propodus; pereopod 5 basis, weakly expanded, posterior margin straight or weakly obliquely truncated.......................................................................................................................... 7

7 Gnathopod 2, carpus subequal to propodus, propodus robust, slightly widening distally, palm oblique; coxa 1, distal margin rounded; coxa 2, anterodistal corner narrowed, nearly right-angled to distal margin; coxa 2–3, posterodistal corner with 2 small teeth .................................................... V. lincolni Horton, 2004

- Gnathopod 2, carpus length 1.4 x propodus, propodus narrow, tapering distally, palm transverse; coxa 1, distal margin narrowed, subacute; coxa 2, anterodistal corner broadly rounded; coxa 2–3, posterodistal corner lacking teeth ................................................................................................. V. dentata Holmes, 1908