New Aoridae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Tasmanian kelp holdfasts

Three new aorid amphipod species from Tasmanian kelp holdfasts are described: Microdeutopus varietensis sp. nov., Lembos clematis sp. nov. and L. verrucularum sp. nov. Strong sub-ocular regression of the head is a usual feature of the genus Microdeutopus and is shown by M. varietensis. It is not, however, typical of the other known Australian/NewZealand Microdeutopus species (M. haswelli and M. apopo). The Tasmanian Lembos species (L. chiltoni, L. clematis and L. verrucularum) are not known from New Zealand, where the genus is represented by L. pertinax, L. acherontis and L. hippocrenes. The Tasmanian Lembos species display the condition of the mandibular palp that typifies the genus, that is, article 3 longer than article 2 (cf. the New Zealand species which display the reverse, unusual, condition).     

Biting mechanism of the amphipod Anonyx (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea)

Anonyx amphipods feed extensively on dead or weakened animals, often of large size. They cut off strips of food using the wide incisor processes of their mandibles like a pair of shears. The mandibles and associated mouthparts are specialized for this shearing action. The strips of food are coiled and packed into their proventriculi.     

Two new phoxocephalids (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Phoxocephalidae) from the south-west Atlantic

A new genus and species, Parafoxiphalus longicarpus, and a new species, Metharpinia protuberantis belonging to the family Phoxocephalidae, are described from the Argentine Sea. Both taxa were collected from sandy substrata in the intertidal and subtidal regions. Parafoxiphalus longicarpus is related to Foxiphalus Barnard, 1979 and they share many characters, most of them in plesiomorphic condition. Metharpinia protuberantis is an intermediate species between Metharpinia Schellenberg, 1931 and Microphoxus Barnard, 1960, and its assignation to the first genus is discussed.     

Two new species of Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Iran

Two Niphargus species, Niphargus khayyami sp. nov. and Niphargus khwarizmi sp. nov., are morphologically analysed and described. Both species are found in western Iran, which represents the easternmost border of the distributional area for this subterranean amphipod genus. We were unable to attribute N. khayyami sp. nov. to any of 80 Niphargus species that were analysed for 28S ribosomal DNA sequences; sequencing of N. khwarizmi sp. nov. failed. Niphargid findings from west Asia recorded in 5 years imply that almost one half of the range of this large freshwater amphipod genus is still unexplored. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9E9E7CC9-83E2-419F-A394-57197305E1EF     

Apodidymochelia,a new genus of gammaridean amphipod from the tropical Atlantic Ocean (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Didymochellidae)

Apodidymochelia castellata, new genus, new species is the second genus and fourth species in the rare and poorly known family Didymocheliidae. Apodidymochelia is separated from Didymochelia primarily on mandible structure. This record extends the known range of the family into the Atlantic Ocean.     

On the status of Arcitalitrus dorrieni (Crustacea: Amphipoda) on the island of Colonsay,Inner Hebrides

The presence of the landhopper Arcitalitrus dorrieni (Hunt) is reported on the island of Colonsay, Inner Hebrides. It is widely distributed there amongst deciduous leaf litter in forested areas but also occurs in bracken litter and scrub grassland. The species is an introduction from Australia, doubtless transported inadvertently among plants brought to the gardens at Colonsay House. It is, however, not restricted to the ornamental plantings but has colonized native woodland. Maximum population density recorded under leaf litter was 680 m². Amphipods avoid waterlogged or dry situations preferring to burrow in moist soil under litter from deciduous trees. Coniferous woodlands are more sparsely colonized. Rate of spread (minimum) from the original locus is calculated at c. 25 m/year. Arcitalitrus may prefer to eat sycamore leaves (cf. oak, beech). Ovigerous females are reported for May but no evidence exists for a release of young any earlier in the year. Immature amphipods seem to live more covert lives in the soil beneath the superficial litter layer. Eggs are relatively large and few in number. Amphipods may avoid ants but may have a mite living in phoretic or ectoparasitic association.     

Elevation of two eastern Atlantic varieties of Ampelisca brevicornis (Costa, 1853) (Crustacea,Amphipoda) to full specific rank with redescription of the species

Two species of Ampelisca, Ampelisca pectenata and Ampelisca cavicoxa, are studied here. These species were originally taken to be varieties of Ampelisca brevicornis, but they proved upon closer study actually to be different species. They are redescribed here in detail, and raised to the status of species. These two species have hitherto only been known to inhabit tropical Atlantic areas. Now for the first time they have been recorded on the French Atlantic coast, which shows that they have a wider geographical distribution than was previously assumed. Some biological data are also given which add to the knowledge available about this family of Amphipoda. Deux espèces d'Ampeliscidae sont étudiées dans ce travail, Ampelisca pectenata et Ampelisca cavicoxa. A l'origine, elles ont été décrites comme variétés de Ampelisca brevicornis, mais une étude détaillée montre qu'il s'agit d'espèces différentes. Elles ont donc étéentièrement redécrites et élevées au rang d'espèces. Ces espèces n'étaient connues jusqu'àprésent qu'en régions tropicales Atlantiques. Pour la première fois elles sont signalées sur les cô     

Revision of Stegosoladidus Barnard and Karaman, 1987 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae), redescription of two species and description of three new species

Stegosoladidus simplex (K. H. Barnard, 1930) and S. ingens (Chevreux, 1906) are both figured and redescribed. Three new species (Stegosoladidus antarcticus, S. complex and S. debroyeri) are described. The terminology used for classification of both setae and different setae arrangements is discussed, and the main types of setae are figured.     

An enigma from Australia: a new variation on the corophioid theme (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Aetiopedes gracilis gen. et sp. nov. (Amphipoda : Isaeidae) is described from southern Australian (Tasmanian, Victorian) shallow coastal sand habitats. The taxon superficially resembles an ampeliscoid having antenna 2 markedly longer than antenna 1 and peraeopods 3–4 with long, slender dactyls. The possibility is raised that glandular peraeopods may be a synapomorphy associating Ampeliscoidea with Corophioidea as sister groups. The structure of peraeopods 3–4 (merochelate), labrum (toothed) and telson (shortened) are all autapomorphies peculiar to the new taxon. Within the Isaeidae, Aetiopedes appears to be closest to Amphideutopus. The relationships of these taxa are discussed in relation to the hypotheses of Barnard & Thomas (1987) on the systematics of the Neomegamphopidae.     

A new species of Valettia (Crustacea: Amphipoda) and the relationship of the Valettidae to the Lysianassoidea

The family Vallettidae is re-established to accommodate Valettia coheres Stebbing, 1888 and V. hystrix sp. nov. Although closer to the Lysianassoidea than to any other gammaridean superfamily, characters of the mandible, maxillae, gnathopods and oostegites preclude membership of that superfamily. Further assessments of the Valettidae and other family groups peripheral to the Lysianassoidea will be required before formal high-level classification can be established.     

A new species of amphipod of the genus Neomegamphopus (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Neomegamphopidae) from Rodrigues,Indian Ocean

A new species of Neomegamphopus Shoemaker is described from Rodrigues, Indian Ocean. The systematics of the Neomegamphopidae from the Indian Ocean is discussed and a key to the species from that ocean is provided.     

A new species of Ischyrocerus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Ireland,with a review of Ischyrocerus anguipes and Ischyrocerus minutus from the North-East Atlantic

A new species of ischyrocerid amphipod, Ischyrocerus fractus sp. nov., is described from south-west Ireland. An examination of material from the Sars Collection at the Zoologisk Museum, Oslo, has confirmed that Ischyrocerus minutus Sars, previously placed as a synonym of Ischyrocerus anguipes Krøyer, is a valid species and is widespread in the British Isles, while I. anguipes is Arctic/boreal in distribution.     

A new species of Phoxocephalidae and some other records of sand-burrowing Amphipoda (Crustacea) from Argentina

A new species from the Argentine Sea, Metharpinia iado (Phoxocephalidae), is described. It is distinguished by many morphological character states from Metharpinia longirostris Schellenberg, 1931, found in South America for Argentina and Chile; primarily, they differ in numbers of spines and setae on mouthparts and appendages, and shape of epimeron plate 3. The new species is recorded in Buenos Aires and Chubut provinces. Two other Phoxocephalidae, Microphoxus cornutus (Schellenberg, 1931) and Fuegiphoxus fuegiensis (Schellenberg, 1931), partially illustrated, are compared in different populations, and some variations in number of spines and setae on mouthparts and appendages are noted. Microphoxus cornutus, known in Chile (Punta Arenas) and Argentina (Ushuaia), extends its geographical distribution towards the north of Argentina, in Buenos Aires and Chubut. Fuegiphoxus fuegiensis, known in the austral part of South America (Punta Arenas and Ushuaia) and in Chubut (Puerto Madryn), expands its geographical distribution in Chubut. The Ipanemidae Ipanema talpa Barnard and Thomas, 1988 is figured in part, both males and females are compared with the male specimen described from Brazil; it constitutes a new record in Argentina. All taxa were collected from sandy substrata in the intertidal and subtidal regions, in Buenos Aires and Chubut provinces.     

Anatomy of the alimentary canal of Parandania boecki (Stebbing, 1888) (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Stegocephalidae) from the Antarctic Ocean

The alimentary canal of Parandania boecki (Stebbing, 1888) has been investigated. Examination of gut contents shows that this species feeds on Cnidaria. The oesophagus, stomach and midgut are adapted to ingest and store large masses of soft food. The opening of the oesophagus is closed by a labral operculum and ‘double gate’ — like narrowings at the stomach entrance. The foregut is extremely enlarged and the funnel region is reduced. The midgut very probably is not connected to the foregut, and the resorption of food takes place only in the midgut caeca. The midgut forms a shallow, crescentic cavity over the midgut caeca.     

Taxonomic observations on the genera Xenocheira Haswell and Ericthonius Milne Edwards (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Australian coastal waters

The type-species of the genus Xenocheira Haswell, X. fasciata Haswell, is redescribed (including the true male) from Tasmanian material. Pirlot's putative male X. fasciata from Indonesia is allocated to a new species, X. pirloti nom. nov. and K. H. Barnard's ‘X. fasciata’ from the Great Barrier Reef referred to Grandidierella gilesi Chilton. Another Xenocheira species from Western Australia is identified tentatively as X.? seurati Chevreux. Two new species of Ericthonius Milne Edwards are described, one from Tasmania (E. tacitus sp. nov.) and one from Western Australia (E. coxacanthus sp. nov.). The first record of E. pugnax Dana from mainland Australia is claimed for material from Western Australia. The taxonomic relationships of these species are evaluated and discussed.     

A new deep-sea Psammogammarus species (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Eriopisidae) from the continental slope of the SE Gulf of Mexico

A new deep-sea species of amphipod collected at a depth of 1317 m from the soft bottom of the Bay of Campeche, SW Gulf of Mexico, is herein described. The sediment included a high proportion of silt and organic carbon. The specimen examined in this study was collected during the Oceanographic Expedition Xcambó-4, along the Bay of Campeche, aboard the RV Justo Sierra. The new species represents the sixteenth known species of the genus Psammogammarus worldwide. This new species is the second Psammogammarus recorded from the deep sea, and the first record of the genus for the Gulf of Mexico. Identification keys to males and females of Psammogammarus species are provided. Psammogammarus barrerai sp. nov. is characterised by head with anteroventral notch present; gnathopods 1 and 2 palmar margins oblique, and basis of pereopod 7 forming a wide serrated posterior lobe.

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