Bemlos pustulatus, Myers, 2004

Myers, Alan, 2004, Amphipoda (Crustacea) of the family Aoridae (Corophiidea) from Rodrigues, Indian Ocean, Journal of Natural History 38 (23), pp. 3123-3135 : 3125-3127

Bemlos pustulatus sp. nov.

( figures 1A , 2–4 )

HOLOTYPE: AMP 67443, male, Gravier, intertidal, 19 September 2001, 19‡43.879’S, 63‡28.875’E, in Halimeda opuntia over sand.

PARATYPES: AMP 67444, five males, 10 females, same locality and data as holotype .

Additional material. Four males, seven females, same locality, date and GPS reading, in Padina sp. over sand and basaltic rock; four males, seven females and three immatures, same locality, date and GPS reading, fine red algae on small basaltic rocks; five males, four females, Rivière Banane, reef flat, 20 September 2001, 19‡40.271’S, 63‡28.575’E, Digenia simplex on dead coral; one male, same locality, date and GPS reading, Jania adherens , Caulerpa cuprysoides turf, on sand; one male, Petite Butte, 0.5 m, 21 September 2001, 19‡45.066’S, 63‡23.802’E, in Turbinaria ornata ; one male, Grand Baie, 22 September 2001, 19‡40.083’S, 63‡27.229’E, Galaxaura subverticilata attached to dead coral.

Description. Holotype, male, 4.5 mm. Colour (in alcohol) creamy white with irregular patches of brown pigment on the head and pereon. Head lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate, eye black, subround. Mandible palp article in the ratios 2:6:7, article 3 posterior margin straight with about seven long setae and an understorey of about 10 shorter setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with a single long pectinate seta. Labium mandibular process very elongate and slender. Antenna 1 shorter than body length, peduncular articles in the ratios 3:4:1, flagellum longer than peduncle with 18 articles, accessory flagellum with four articles. Antenna 2 peduncular articles 4 and 5 subequal in length, flagellum a little shorter than peduncular article 5, with six articles. Gnathopod 1 coxa about as broad as long, anterodistal margin slightly produced, subacute; basis stout, narrow proximally, anterior margin straight, excavate on outer face for reception of carpus when infolded position; merus subrectangular, anterodistal margin unproduced; carpus short, triangular; propodus about three times length of carpus, broadest medially, palmar margin with strong medial spine and a group of three or four smaller spines at the proximal end, each spine with a very long seta inserted at its base; dactylus massive, elongate, proximally with dense granulations, fitting palm. Male gnathopod 2 coxa subsquare, basis slender, anterior margin weakly concave; carpus and propodus subequal in length, propodus palm oblique, defined by a robust seta; dactylus slender, slightly overlapping palm. Pereopods 3–4 of normal aorid build, dactylus a little less than two-thirds length of propodus. Pereopods 5–7 in the length ratio 3:5:7. Uropod 1–2 peduncle with inter-ramal spine one-third length of peduncle. Uropod 1 inner ramus slightly longer than outer and subequal with peduncle. Uropod 2 inner ramus longer than outer and longer than peduncle. Uropod 3 rami subequal, twice length of peduncle, outer ramus with small second article, both rami with a few marginal robust setae. Telson with each dorso-lateral crest bearing a pair of unequal setae.

Female 4.0 mm, similar to male except for oostegites and in structure of the

gnathopoda. Gnathopod 1 carpus elongate about 1.5 times as long as broad, propodus much less massive than that of male, about 1.2 times length of carpus, palm oblique and clearly defined from posterior margin by obtuse angle, dactylus less stout than that of male, greatly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 similar to that of male, but basis anterior margin straight, carpus and propodus shorter, propodus palm less oblique.

Remarks. This species can be confused with no other known species of Bemlos due to the characteristic form of the male gnathopod 1 propodus and dactylus.

Etymology. Named for the dense granulations on the proximal part of the dactylus of the male gnathopod 1.

Figures

FIG. 1. (A) Bemlos pustulatus sp. nov., male holotype AMP67443, Gravier; (B) Globosolembos rodriguensis sp. nov., male holotype AMP67442, Grand Pate´; (C) Bemlos pseudopunctatus (Ledoyer), Rivière Banane.

FIG. 2. Bemlos pustulatus sp. nov., male holotype AMP67443, female paratype AMP67444, Gravier.

FIG. 3. Bemlos pustulatus sp. nov., male holotype AMP67443 (antenna 1 and mouthparts), female paratype AMP67444, Gravier.

FIG. 4. Bemlos pustulatus sp. nov., male holotype AMP67443, Gravier.