Telsosynopia trifidilla Hughes & Lowry, 2006

Hughes, L. E., 2009, Synopiidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 880-891 : 887-890

Telsosynopia trifidilla Hughes & Lowry, 2006

( Figs 5 , 6 )

Telsosynopia trifidilla Hughes & Lowry, 2006: 44 , figs 22–23.

Type Locality. Northwest Solitary Island , Solitary Islands, New South Wales, Australia (30°01.116’S 153°18.184’E) .

Material examined. 1 ‘A’ male specimen, 3 slides, AM P77888 (FT 106) ; 1 ‘B’ male specimen, 4 slides, AM P77889 (FT 106) ; 10+ unsexed specimens, AM P77890 (FT 106) ; 3 unsexed specimens, AM P77935, (FT 106) ; 4 unsexed specimens, AM P77931, ( JML 7-10 - 2 ); 1 unsexed specimen, AM P77934, ( JML 7-10 - 3 ); 1 male specimen, 6.9 mm, 4 slides, AM P70328 ( JML 16-10 - 7 ); 1 female specimen, 4.0 mm, AM P70327 ( JML 16-10 - 7 ); 5 unsexed specimens, AM P77925 ( JML 16-10 - 7 ); 2 unsexed specimens, AM P77933, ( JML 16-10 - 9 ); 9 unsexed specimens, AM P77932, ( JML 20-10 - 2 ); 10+ unsexed specimens, AM P77926 ( LTN 77- 26 ); 78 unsexed specimens, AM P37007 ( NL 1-77 ); 6 unsexed specimens, AM P77928 ( QLD 1943 ); 12 unsexed specimens, AM P77927 ( QLD 1948 ); 3 unsexed specimens, AM P77929 ( QLD 1964 ); 1 unsexed specimen, AM P77930 ( QLD 2005 ) .

Description. Based on male, 6.9 mm, AM P70328.

Head. Head protuberant; rostrum short, apically acute; lateral cephalic lobe absent; eyes greater than half length of head; accessory eyes present, with 2 ommatidia (3 in other QLD material). Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 elongate, with a distal tooth; peduncular article 2 elongate; flagellum longer than pereon, more than 13–articles (broken). Antenna 2 flagellum 30–articulate. Mandible palp article 2 without setae; article 3 with 2 plumose apical setae; molar greatly enlarged, columnar, triturative, accessory setal row with 5 serrate setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 plumose seta. Maxilliped foliaceaous.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 weakly subchelate; coxa anterior margin not produced, not tapering distally; basis about as long as carpus; propodus palm acute, without defining robust setae. Gnathopod 2 simple; coxa not distally tapering; basis about as long as carpus; dactylus vestigial, terminal setae short, subequal to length of dactylus. Pereopod 3 coxa anterodistal lobe absent, posterodistal lobe truncate, greater than half depth of coxa, margin smooth; basis width subequal to breadth of ischium. Pereopod 4 coxa smaller than coxa 3, subtriangular, posterior margin with well developed lobe. Pereopods 5–7 basis anterodistal corner weakly produced, posterior margin smooth. Pereopods 5–6 basis subovoid, expanded, posterodistal lobe well developed, rounded, not extending past ischium. Pereopod 7 basis subrectangular, posterodistal lobe well developed, subacute, extending below ischium. Pereonites 6–7 without lateral ridge. Pereonite 7 without carination.

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without lateral ridges, without carination. Pleonites 1–3 posterodorsal margin smooth. Epimera 1–3 posterior margin smooth, posterodistal corner rounded. Uropod 3 length greatly exceeding length of uropods 1–2; peduncle long (at least 2 x breadth). Telson entire, much longer than uropod 3 peduncle, setae lining lateral margins, apical margin trifid, with one pair of slender and one pair of robust setae.

Habitat. Soft sediments, 1.5 to 15 m depth, nektonic at night.

Remarks. Material of Telsosynopia trifidilla from the Great Barrier Reef show little to no variation from original material described from more southerly Australian waters. The individual figured from Lizard Island is a larger body size (6.9 mm) and thus the telson in broader than the smaller (5.5 mm) type material from the Solitary Islands. The broadening of the telson with size has previously been noted for the Synopiidae ( Andres 1984; Barnard & Thomas 1989).

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island; One Tree Island (current study). New South Wales: Solitary Islands; Botany Bay ( Hughes & Lowry 2006).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Telsosynopia trifidilla Hughes & Lowry, 2006, male 6.9 mm, AM P70382, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 6. Telsosynopia trifidilla Hughes & Lowry, 2006, male 6.9 mm, AM P70382, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.