Latigammaropsis salomanensis, Myers, A. A., 2014

Myers, A. A., 2014, Amphipoda (Crustacea) from the Chagos Archipelago, Zootaxa 3754 (1), pp. 1-31 : 13-16

Latigammaropsis salomanensis sp. nov.

(Figs 10, 11)

Type material. Holotype male, 3.5 mm Saloman Atoll, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 19.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.029). Paratypes 2 males, 3 females, same data as holotype ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.030).

Other material. 3 males 2 females, Diego Garcia, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 15.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.031); 7 males 7 females, Diego Garcia, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 16.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.032); 1 male 1 female, Saloman Atoll, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 19.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.033); 1 male 1 female, Saloman Atoll, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 20.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.034); 9 males 10 females, Peros Banhos, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 22.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.035); 4 males 8 females, Peros Banhos, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 23.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.036); 7 males 16 females, Peros Banhos, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 24.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.037); 1 male, Peros Banhos, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 25.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.038); 4 males 4 females, Great Chagos Bank – Eagle Island, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 28.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.039); 1 male, Great Chagos Bank – Eagle Island, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 28.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.040); 3 females, Great Chagos Bank – Eagle Island, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 29.02.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.041); 4 males 6 females, Egmont, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 0 1.03.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.042); 5 males 9 females, Diego Garcia, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 0 3.03.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.043); 4 males 10 females, Diego Garcia, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 0 4.03.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.044); 2 males 1 female, Diego Garcia, outer reef, dead branching coral heads, 10 m. C. Head and H. Koldewey, 0 5.03.2012 ( OUMNH.ZC.2013.06.045).

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Description. Based on male holotype, 3.5 mm.

Head. Head with strongly produced eye lobes, ventral margin deeply recessed. Eye large, subreniform with scattered ommatidia, completely filling eye lobe. Antenna 1 short, less than half body length; peduncular articles 1 and 3 subequal in length, article 2 longer than article 1; flagellum shorter than peduncle, with 10 articles; accessory flagellum of two long and one rudimentary terminal article. Antenna 2 shorter than antenna 1; peduncular articles 4 and 5 subequal; flagellum a little shorter than peduncular articles 4 and 5 combined, with 8 articles. Labrum without acute epistome. Mandible palp article 1 short, article 2 a little longer than three, article 3 spatulate with long distal setae.

Latigammaropsis sp. nov., mm, Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa produced forward, subacute; propodus a little longer than carpus, subovoid; dactylus elongate, slender, overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 greatly enlarged; coxa subquadrate; basis short, stout, about twice as long as broad; carpus very reduced, cup-shaped; propodus massive, subquadrangular, palm with deep distal cavity followed by a strong defining acute spine, cavity bearing long robust seta; dactylus stout, fitting palm. Pereopods 3–4 with short dactylus less than half length of propodus. Pereopod 5 Basis pyriform

Pleon. Epimera 1–3 rounded. Uropod 1 peduncle a little longer than rami, with long distoventral spine about half length of peduncle; inner ramus longer than outer. Uropod 2 peduncle shorter than rami; inner ramus longer than outer. Uropod 3 peduncle short, broad, subequal with outer ramus; outer ramus with three terminal robust setae; inner ramus narrow distally with one small nail-like robust seta.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 carpus larger than in male, subtriangular; propodus less strongly enlarged, subovoid, palm evenly rounded, defined by a strong acute spine.

Remarks. Latigammaropsis salomanensis sp. nov. is very similar to L. hermes Myers, 2009 , from the Great Barrier Reef. It differs notably in the female. In L. salomanensis the propodus of gnathopod 2 has a strong acute spine defining the palm whereas in L. hermes , the palm of the appendage is defined by a small rounded protrusion. In addition, in the male, coxa 1 is more acute in L. salomanensis and the propodus of gnathopod 1 is more ovoid and the palm less oblique than in L. hermes .

Habitat. Dead coral heads in shallow water.

Distribution. Known only from Chagos archipelago.