Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Unciolidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 904-907 : 904-907

Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991: 319 , figs 1–4. –– Lowry & Stoddart, 2003: 73 (catalogue).

Material examined. 1 male AM P79716 (QLD 1636) ; 1 male, 2 females AM P70702 (QLD 1636) ; 1 male AM P770727 (QLD 1646) ; 4 females AM P70901 (QLD 1654) ; 3 males, 1 female AM P70844 (QLD 1666); 1 unsexed, AM P75687 (QLD 1955) ; 10 males, 18 females, AM P75307 (QLD 1979) .

Type locality. Orpheus Island , Queensland, Australia (~ 18°37'S 146°30'E) .

Description. Based on male, 3.0 mm, AM P70844.

Head. Head lateral cephalic lobes apically acute. Antenna 1 flagellum with 8–9 articles; accessory flagellum with two long articles. Antenna 2 with few long setae. Labium with fine setae only. Maxilla 1 inner plate without setae. Mandible, palp articles 2 and 3 subequal in length, article 3 rod-shaped, with distal setae only.

Pereon. Pereonite 1 with small sternal spine. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in males only; coxa not strongly produced anterodistally, rounded, ventral margin without spine; basis robust, half or more as broad as long, without a spine, anterior margin strongly convex, posterodistal margin with setae absent, anterodistal margin with strong flange; ischium anterior margin without flange, posterior margin with one setae; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin with sparse setae, without posterodistal spine; carpus triangular, a little longer than propodus, anterior margin without setae and without spine; without an oblique row of long setae on inner face, posterior margin without spines; propodus anterior margin without setae, posterior margin weakly sinuous, palm present, delimited from posterior margin, defined by strong outwardly deflected posterodistal spine and smaller, irregular distal spines, without robust seta defining palm; dactylus longer than propodus, slightly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin convex, without flange, posterodistal margin with large robust setae; merus not enlarged or produced away from carpus; carpus subovoid, more than three times length of propodus, anterior margin not lobate, with short sparse setae, posterior margin without spines; propodus with sparse setae, palm defined by strong, acute posterodistal spine and smaller distal spine. Pereopod 3 without brush of long setae on merus. Pereopod 6 basis not produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 significantly less than 125% length of pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 rami subequal, peduncle much longer than broad, distoventral spine about one fifth length of peduncle. Uropod 2 biramous, inner ramus longer than outer; peduncle without distoventral spine. Uropod 3 biramous, inner ramus longer than peduncle and twice length of outer ramus. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on female, 3.0 mm, AM P70844. No sternal spines. Gnathopod 1 basis a little more slender than in male; carpus more slender; propodus with very oblique palm defined by two robust setae, dactylus short, stout. Gnathopod 2 basis slender, anterior margin straight; carpus slender, subtriangular, subequal in length with propodus; propodus slender, palm with round-bottomed excavation, defined by a robust seta.

Habitat. Grey carbonate sand with fine algal strands on surface, Udotea (green alga) and sand, scrapings from mooring block.

Remarks. Two species of Wombalano are currently known, W. yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991 from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and W. rachayai Myers, 2002 from Phuket, Thailand. Protomedeia basilatissima Ortiz & Lalana, 1999 from Indonesia also appears to be a species of Wombalano . The acute cephalic lobes of both sexes and the extraordinary gnathopods of the male, in Wombalano yerang , readily distinguish it from any other Great Barrier Reef taxon.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Watsons Bay, Cobia Hole, Lizard Island (current study); Orpheus Island ( Thomas & Barnard 1991); No Tree Island, One Tree Island (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991, male, 3.0 mm, AM P70844, Cobia Hole, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 2. Wombalano yerang Thomas & Barnard, 1991, male, 3.0 mm, female, 3.2 mm, AM P70844, Cobia Hole, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.