Lelehua myersi, Serejo & Sittrop, 2009

Serejo, Cristiana S. & Sittrop, Daniela J., 2009, Hyalidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 440-452 : 444-447

Lelehua myersi sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 4 )

Type material. Holotype, male, 3.5 mm, AM P80164, Picnic Beach , Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.69’S 145°26.89’E), on the red alga Galaxaura subfruiticulosa Chou , from reef flat, 1 m, R. A. King, 27 February 2005 (QLD 1704) . Paratypes: 1 male, 3.5 mm, AM P80165 ; 1 female, 3.1 mm, AM P80166 ; 1 female, 3.3 mm, AM P80167 ; 57 males, 3.2–3.7 mm and 29 females, 2.2–3.3 mm, AM P71064 ; 2 males and 2 females, MNRJ ; same locality . 2 females, 2.4 and 2.5 mm, AM P 70572, 200 m off Research Beach , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°40.834’S 145°26.749’E), algae on aquarium pipe, sandy bottom, coral reef, 2 m, J. Just, 22 February 2005 (QLD 1618) , 1 male, 3.1 mm and 1 female, 2.7 mm, AM P71031 , Picnic Beach , Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.69’S 145°26.89’E), algal mat and fine sediment from rubble bottom on reef flat, 3 m, S.E. LeCroy, 27 February 2005 (QLD 1708) ; 1 male, 3.9 mm, AM P71090 , 20 males, 2.5–4.1 mm and 31 females, 2.3–3.7 mm, AM P71097 , Picnic Beach , Palfrey Island, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.69’S 145°26.89’E), green alga Codium sp. from reef flat, 2 m, T . Krapp-Schickel , 27 February 2005, (QLD 1716) , 1 male, 3.6 mm, AM P71185 , Mermaid Cove , Lizard Island, Queensland (14°38.91’S 145°27.26’E), encrusting algae and rubble from sand with rubble bottom, 2 m, T . Krapp-Schickel , 28 February 2005 (QLD 1730) .

Etymology. The name of the species is in honor to Dr Alan Myers, recognized senior amphipod researcher and also one of the editors of this book.

Description. Based on holotype, male, 3.5 mm, AM P80164.

Head. Head antenna 1 slightly longer than half way of antenna 2; lateral cephalic lobe broad and distally truncated; eyes small and round. Upper lip distally setose. Mandible, left lacinia mobilis 5-dentate, accessory setal row with 2 robust setae and a long plumose seta, molar well triturative. Lower lip normal for the family. Maxilla 1 inner lobe with 2 long plumose setae; outer lobe with 9 setal-teeth, palp surpassing slightly the base of setal-teeth. Maxilla 2 normal for the family. Maxilliped sexually dimorphic, palp article 4 triangular, medial margin not concave, distal setae long, about 2 x article 4 length.

Pereon. Coxae 1–4 with posterior process weakly produced. Gnathopod 1 palm acute, dactylus long, well surpassing palm. Gnathopod 2 enlarged, basis anterodistal margin expanded, finely crenulate; palm with a shallow concavity, followed by two small humps near dactylus ring; dactylus fitting palm, inner margin with large hump. Pereopods 3–4 propodus with a medial and 2 subdistal setae. Pereopod 5 merus slightly lobate, about 1.3 x wider than long.

Pleon. Uropod 1 with well developed distal robust seta, ramus with 1 – 2 robust setae. Uropod 2 outer ramus slightly shorter than inner ramus, each ramus with 1 robust seta. Uropod 3 ramus about half the peduncle, tipped with 4 distal robust setae. Telson deeply cleft, lacking seta, lobes not pointed distally.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype, female, 3.1 mm, AM P80166. Gnathopods 1–2 similar in shape and subequal in size; propodus not enlarged, about 2 x longer than wide, dactylus fitting palm. Maxilliped palp article 4 triangular, distal seta short, about 2/3 of article 4 length. Oostegites 2 triangular with 33 setae, oostegites 3–4 oval with distal end slightly curved with 39 and 46 setae respectively, oostegite 5 curved, thinner than the others and with 29 setae.

Habitat. At Lizard Island this species was found on algal mat and fine sediment from rubble bottom on reef flat and on Codium sp. (green algae).

Remarks. There are three known species of Lelehua , L. waimea (J.L. Barnard, 1970) , L. kandari (J.L. Barnard, 1974) and L. malevua Myers, 1985 . Lelehua myersi sp. nov. differs from the other three species in the shape of palm of gnathopod 2, size of the whip-like seta of male maxilliped palp article 4, telson lobes distally subacute as stated in Table 1. Both L. myersi and L. kandari are found in Australia, but the former seems to be more closely related to L. malevua as both are from the tropical Pacific province. Besides the characters cited in Table 1, these species also have in common the gnathopod 1 dactylus well surpassing palm and basis of male gnathopod 2 crenulated.

Distribution. Australia. North-eastern Queensland (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Lelehua myersi sp. nov., holotype, male, 3.5 mm, AM P80164; paratype male, 3.5 mm, AM P80165 (maxilla 1, maxilla 2, left mandible, upper lip, lower lip); Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 4. Lelehua myersi sp. nov., holotype, male, 3.5 mm, AM P80164; paratype, female, 3.1 mm, AM P80166 (gnathopods 1–2, oostegites 2–5); paratype, female, 3.3 mm, AM P80167 (maxilliped); Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.