Melita planaterga Kunkel, 1910

White, Kristine N. & Sir, Sally J., 2024, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part II: parvorder Hadziidira, ZooKeys 1195, pp. 249-296 : 249

Melita planaterga Kunkel, 1910

Figs 19 , 29E

Melita planaterga Melita planaterga Kunkel, 1910: 34-37, fig. 12; LeCroy 2000: 115, fig. 149.

Material examined.

Panama • 4-9 mm • 7 ♂, 5 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Swan Cay ; 9.453333°N, 82.298333°W; depth 2-3 m, among algae; 4 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6652 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro , San Cristobal; 9.284977°N, 82.294533°W; depth 1-3 m, among Dictyota ; 21 June 2023; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703539 • 6 ♂, 5 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Drago; 9.413433°N, 82.33335°W; depth 1-3 m, among Halimeda , red algae and coral rubble; 23 June 2023; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703540 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ Bocas del Toro , Swan Cay; 9.4536°N, 82.300033°W; depth 2 m, among coral rubble; 24 June 2023; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703541 .

Diagnosis.

Male antennae without bottle-brush setae. Male gnathopod 2 propodus ovate, palm densely setose, setae shorter than propodus length; female gnathopod 2 smaller and less setose than in male. Female coxa 6 with lateral ridge at base of hook, anteroventral angle flattened or notched. Urosome segment 1 posterodorsal margin with single median process; urosome segment 2 posterior margin smooth, each side with single dorsolateral spine. Telson lobes apically subacute with long terminal spines.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys ( Lazo-Wasem and Gable 1987; LeCroy 2000); Bermuda: Flatts Village ( Kunkel 1910); Mexico: Terminos Lagoon, Bay of Campeche, Mexico ( Ledoyer 1986); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with algae and coral rubble at depths of 0-3 m. Panamanian specimens closely resemble previously described specimens. Females can be identified easily by the structure of coxa 6 and males have a heavily setose gnathopod 2 propodus. The dark pigmentation is also characteristic of this species. Panamanian specimens ranged from having dark pigment bands as described by Kunkel (1910) to being almost completely dark blue (more so than in Fig. 29E ).

Figures

Figure 19. Melita planaterga, male, 5.1 mm, uropod 3, telson, gnathopod 2 medial, some setae removed from carpus, epimeron and urosome; female, 4.6 mm, coxa 6 lateral, coxa 6 medial hook. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Photographs of live specimens unless noted A Quadrimaera sarae B Quadrimaera yemanjae C Dulichiella anisochir (ethanol preserved specimen) D Dulichiella lecroyae E Melita planaterga F Hornellia tequestae. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.