A new superfamily,family, genus and species of marine amphipod,Protodulichia scandens,from Japan (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata: Corophiida)

ABSTRACT

In this study, the new amphipod superfamily Protodulichioidea and family Protodulichiidae are established. Both belong to the infraorder Corophiida but is different from all known superfamilies and families. Amphipods included in the new superfamily and family are characterised by having a triangular head with large eyes, extremely long pereopod 7, and uropod 3 with a short peduncle and slender rami bearing a few robust setae. Protodulichia scandens gen. et sp. nov. is fully described here and its mast-building behaviour is also recorded.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F6613B27-D954-4E4C-86CB-9FC5E9624334     

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     

A new genus and two new species of Argeiinae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae) from the Indo-west Pacific

Three hosts from Indo-west Pacific including Kiribati, Guam Island and Australia were examined, and found to be infested by three species of the subfamily Argeiinae. We describe Paraeragia kiribatiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. from Kiribati infesting Synalpheus gracilirostris. The new genus is most related to Eragia and it can be distinguished by female with triangular pleon, lateral plates extend posteriorly, paired uropods, widely opened brood pouch. Argeiopsis guamensis sp. nov. from Guam Island infesting Synalpheus cf. stimpsoni. The new species is most similar to Argeiopsis inhacae but differs in female with curved posterior margin of first oostegite, partly fused pleomeres, and male with head separated from first pereomere, pleon as wide as seventh pereomere. We also record Stegoalpheon kempi from Australia for the first time, infesting Alpheus cf. perplexus. Keys to the nine genera of Argeiinae, and to three species of Argeiopsis are provided. A table for all 13 species of Argeiinae with localities and host records is also provided. A table comparing the distribution of lateral plates and morphology of pleopods and uropods among argeiine genera is presented.

http://www.zoobank/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:284AB32C-6AE5-45BC-9C5D-01B3030D6DE6     

New records of West and South African Bathyporeia,with the description of four new species and a key to all species of the genus (Crustacea,Amphipoda)

New data on the warm temperate and tropical east Atlantic Bathyporeia species are presented. Four new species are described: Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. from South Africa, B. chevreuxi sp. nov. from Senegal, B. gladiura sp. nov. from South Africa, and B. griffithsi sp. nov. from Namibia. Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. and B. chevreuxi sp. nov. are very closely related to the west European B. tenuipes Meinert, 1877 and the Mediterranean B. lindstromi Stebbing, 1906 Stebbing, T. R. R. 1906. Amphipoda 1: Gammaridea.. Das Tierreich, 21: 1–806.  [Google Scholar]; these four cryptic species forming the complex tenuipes. Bathyporeia griffithsi sp. nov. and B. gladiura sp. nov. are highly distinctive new species. The morphotype “sunnivae” of Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana is recorded for the first time outside the Mediterranean Sea, in the Canary Islands. An identification key to all known Bathyporeia species is given.     

Contribution to knowledge of the genus Haploops,a new location for Haploops lodo (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampeliscidae) from the bathyal North Atlantic Ocean with a complement to the description of the species

Over the last two decades, several works on the family Ampeliscidae have been published, in particular about three of the four genera in the family: Ampelisca, Byblis, and Haploops. Recently, additional material collected during the BIOFAR sampling around the Faeroe Islands and during the BIOICE sampling around Iceland, in the Bay of Biscay and the EUMELI 2 campaign along the African coasts were examined. The genus Haploops was numerous (>3500 individuals), and within this material were interesting specimens. Six of them, found at four stations about 100 km off Mauritania, have been recognized as Haploops lodo (Barnard, 1961 Barnard, J. L. 1961. Gammaridean amphipoda from depths of 400 to 6000 m.. Galathea Report, 5: 23–128.  [Google Scholar]) a bathyal and abyssal species previously seen only in the Pacific ocean offshore of the American coasts. In this article, an Atlantic H. lodo specimen representative of the Atlantic specimens is compared to the holotype. The geographical and bathymetric distribution of H. lodo in the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are discussed.     

A taxonomic study on the Phtisicidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of New South Wales,Australia

The present study reviews the taxonomy of the Phtisicidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The following seven species are described; Dodecas decacentrum Stebbing, 1910b, Dodecas hexacentrum Mayer, 1903, Hircella cornigera (Haswell, 1879b), Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a), Notoprotomima smithi gen. nov., sp. nov., Paraproto sp. and Perotripus sp. Generic diagnoses of Notoprotomima gen. nov., Dodecas, Hircella and Metaproto are provided based on the present materials. Notoprotomima smithi is fully described as a new species of the new genus. Dodecas decacentrum differs from Dodecas hexacentrum by the presence of paired dorsodistal projections on pereonite 2, paired mid-dorsal projections on pereonites 3 and 4 and shorter gill length on pereonites 2 and 3. Hircella cornigera and Metaproto novaehollandiae are described in detail. The larger mature males of M. novaehollandiae possess the unusual massive type of the propodus of gnathopod 2. The extended distribution of Perotripus to the New South Wales coast is noted. A key for these phtisicid amphipods from New South Wales, Australia is provided.     

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.     

Description of Ghatiana,a new genus of freshwater crab,with two new species and a new species of Gubernatoriana (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Western Ghat Mountains,India

A new genus of freshwater crab, Ghatiana, with two new species, Ghatiana aurantiaca and Ghatiana hyacintha, and a new species of Gubernatoriana Bott, 1970, are described from the Western Ghat Mountains in Maharashtra State, India. Ghatiana is most similar to Gubernatoriana by its wide, highly arched carapace and by the shape of the male abdomen. Nevertheless, the new genus can be distinguished from Gubernatoriana by the broadness of carapace, length of male abdomen, shape of sixth abdominal somite, length of telson and length of G1 terminal article. Ghatiana aurantiaca sp. nov. and G. hyacintha sp. nov. are distinguished by differences in body colour, carapace width, and G1 morphology, whereas Gubernatoriana triangulus sp. nov. is distinguished from two other known species [Gubernatoriana gubernatoris (Alcock, 1909) and Gubernatoriana pilosipes (Alcock, 1909)] by its triangular G1 subterminal segment and by its carapace morphology. Keys to the species of both the genera are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:36BAA1EA-DC15-4B06-BA09-7BD26C63FF54     

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.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C843777B-FF15-4AEC-B046-6513A96A9BFF     

European species of Haustorius (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Haustoriidae), with description of a new Mediterranean species

The genus Haustorius is represented by six species in the world; three are described as American species, three European including a new species described from the Mediterranean. This new species, H. orientalis, is similar to H. algeriensis Mulot, from the Algerian coast but differs in rostrum slightly exceeding in length the antennal lobes, merus of pereiopod 7 with posterior margin lacking spines, and uropod 1 with two separate rows of spines.     

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.     

Littoral caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Mexican Central Pacific coast,with the description of four new species

The caprellids of shallow-water localities from the Mexican Central Pacific coast are investigated. The Mexican Pacific coast is poorly known, unlike more northern sites such as the California coast where c. 40 species have been reported. Hence, this is the first study dealing with the caprellidean fauna of this area. Seven species in three genera were found (four of which are new to science): Aciconula acanthosoma Chess, 1989; Caprella equilibra Say, 1818; Caprella mendax Mayer, 1903; Caprella pitu sp. nov.; Liropus isabelensis sp. nov.; Paracaprella carballoi sp. nov.; and Paracaprella isabelae sp. nov. All the species are fully illustrated.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B04D3837-E7E1-4DA5-A8ED-28CA7BF1E1AF     

Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Andaniexis Stebbing (Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae)

The Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Andaniexis Stebbing, 1906 (Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae) are reviewed, and three new species are described. The species Andaniexis abyssi (Boeck, 1871) which previously was considered a widely distributed species (from Baffin Bay to both Spitzbergen and the Skagerrak), is here divided into three species: Andaniexis abyssi s.str., Andaniexis gracilis n.sp. and Andaniexis lupus n.sp. These species, together with Andaniexis mimonectes Ruffo, 1975, all have allopatric distributions. This is especially evident in northern Norway, where A. abyssi has its northernmost limit: A. abyssi is found in Solbergfjorden (69°10′N), while Andaniexis lupus is found in the adjacent fjord Malangen (69°30′N, the southern limit of this species along the Norwegian coast). Andaniexis eilae n.sp. is described from Iceland. This species is not closely related to the other North Atlantic species of the same genus.     

Two new species of Metharpinia Schellenberg (Amphipoda: Phoxocephalidae) from the south-west Atlantic

Two new species, Metharpinia dentiurosoma and Metharpinia grandirama, belonging to the family Phoxocephalidae are described and illustrated from the Argentine Sea. Both taxa were collected dredging at different depths and the grain size of the sediment was determined for each sampling station. The new species share character states with Metharpinia Schellenberg, 1931 and Microphoxus Barnard, 1960, and their assignation to the first genus is discussed. Metharpinia dentiurosoma and Metharpinia grandirama are distinguished from the other known species of the genus by the dorsal hook on urosomite 3; in addition, the first species is characterized by its epimeron 3 and the second species by its uropod 2.     

On the South American species of the genus Meridiosignum (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota: Paramunnidae)

Meridiosignum undulatum n. sp. and M. disparitergum n. sp. are described from off the Río de la Plata estuary. These two new species are easily distinguished from other members of the genus Meridiosignum in having the lateral margins of pereonites 2 and 3 bilobed (the concavity is much more pronounced in M. disparitergum), and those of pereonite 4 produced into a single process. The terminal male instar of Meridiosignum menziesi (Winkler, 1994 Winkler, H. 1994. Paramunnidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota) from the Magellan Strait.. Zool J Linn Soc., 110: 243–296. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) is described, and this species is herein reported from the Beagle Channel and Puerto Deseado. All the species currently placed in Meridiosignum were found in shallow waters in the southern hemisphere, M. undulatum n. sp. and M. disparitergum n. sp. being the species recorded at the greatest depth (129 m).     

Further new species within the freshwater amphipod genus Paramelita (Crangonyctoidea: Paramelitidae) from South Africa

Four new species within the crangonyctoid amphipod genus Paramelita are described from material collected from small streams in the southwestern Cape, South Africa. Two of the species are large, with robust second antennae which exceed the first in length, especially in adult males. The third species is recognized by its slender pereopods and its densely setose second antennae, and the fourth by its small size and relatively short, slender, unmodified second antennae. All of these species have an unmodified pereopod 3, and lack teeth, spines, ridges or lobes on antenna 2, features common to many of the known Paramelita species. Morphological similarities between the four new species and 19 previously known species of Paramelita are discussed.