Lepidepecreum baudini, Lowry & Stoddart, 2002

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2002, The Lysianassoid Amphipod Genera Lepidepecreoides and Lepidepecreum in Southern Waters (Crustacea: Lysianassidae: Tryphosinae), Records of the Australian Museum 54 (3), pp. 335-364 : 347-348

Lepidepecreum baudini n.sp.

Figs. 11–13

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female, 5.5 mm, NMV J47715 ; 1 PARATYPE, male, 7.5 mm, NMV J47716 ; 1 PARATYPE, immature male, 6.5 mm, NMV J47717 ; 14 PARATYPES, NMV J47718 ; 5 PARATYPES, AM P57735 ; 76 km S of Point Hicks , Victoria ,

Australia, 38°29.33'S 149°19.98'E, 1840 m, sandy mud, fine shell, WHOI epibenthic sled, G.C.B. Poore et al., 26 October 1988, RV Franklin stn SLOPE 69. —1 PARATYPE, NMV J47719 , 96 km S of Point Hicks , Victoria , Australia, 38°40.29'S 149°18.06'E, 2900 m, compacted clay, WHOI epibenthic sled, G.C.B. Poore et al., 25 October 1988, RV Franklin stn SLOPE 66. —1 PARATYPE, AM P57736, E of Cape Naturaliste , Tasmania , Australia, 40°45.94'S 149°01.62'E to 40°46.54'S 149°00.27'E, 2400–2500 m, mud, clay, R. T. Springthorpe, 10 December 1986, RV Franklin stn 1086–04 .

Type locality. 76 km S of Point Hicks , Victoria, Australia, 38°29.33'S 149°19.98'E, 1840 m depth .

Description. Based on holotype female, 5.5 mm. Body expanded to form a lateral bulge. Head with lateral cephalic lobe a semidome, apically subacute. Antenna 1 peduncular articles 1 and 2 without anterodistal lobe; accessory flagellum 2-articulate; flagellum without callynophore; robust setae absent from proximal articles; calceoli absent. Antenna 2 peduncular article 3 elongate; flagellum short, calceoli absent. Epistome/upper lip with epistome produced beyond upper lip, broadly rounded. Mandible molar columnar with oval, fully triturating surface; mandibular palp attached proximally, article 3 without proximal A3-setae. Maxilla 1 outer plate with setaltooth 7 present, left and right asymmetrical, cuspidate distally; palp distal margin with apical robust setae. Maxilliped outer plate with 1 short, slender apical robust seta.

Gnathopod 1 subchelate; coxa large, about as long as coxa 2, subrectangular with straight anterior margin; basis moderately setose along anterior margin; ischium short; carpus long, subequal in length to propodus, without posterior lobe; propodus with margins subparallel, palm acute, entire, concave. Gnathopod 2 palm slightly obtuse. Pereopod 4 coxa without distinct lateral ridge, with a welldeveloped posteroventral lobe. Pereonite 5 dorsally smooth. Pereopod 5 coxa without distinct lateral ridge, without umbo, basis about as long as broad. Pereopod 7 basis posterodistally produced beyond merus.

Pleonite 1 dorsally smooth, not produced dorsodistally. Pleonite 2 with mid-dorsal carina, acutely produced posterodistally. Pleonite 3 with mid-dorsal carina, produced dorsodistally, apically acute, posterodorsal margin produced. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner acutely produced. Urosomite 1 with a narrow vertically produced recurved acute spine. Uropod 3 inner and outer rami well developed; outer ramus article 2 short; without plumose setae on rami. Telson moderately cleft , with dorsal robust setae, with 1 apical robust seta on each lobe.

Male (sexually dimorphic characters).Based on paratype male, 7.5 mm.Antenna 1 flagellum with strong 2-field callynophore; calceoli present.Antenna 2 flagellum elongate; calceoli present. Uropod 3 with plumose setae on each ramus.

Etymology. Named for Nicolas Baudin, captain of the French corvette Géographe which together with the Naturaliste made an extensive scientific exploration of Australia’s southern coast in 1801–1802.

Remarks. Lepidepecreum baudini is one of a group of seven species in which the basis of pereopod 7 is developed beyond the merus: L. baudini ; L. clypeatum Chevreux, 1888 ; L. clypodentatum J.L. Barnard, 1962 ; L. dampieri ; L. flindersi ; L. freycineti ; and L. subclypeatum Ruffo & Schiecke, 1977 . Within this group L. baudini and L. dampieri have no anterodistal lobes on the peduncle of antenna 1. Lepidepecreum baudini differs from L. dampieri most noticeably in the welldeveloped mid-dorsal carina on pleonite 2.

Distribution. Southeastern Australia, Tasman Sea; 1840– 2500 m depth.

Figures

Figure 11. Lepidepecreum baudini n.sp. Paratype immature male, 6.5 mm, NMV J47717, Point Hicks, Australia.

Figure 12. Lepidepecreum baudini n.sp. Holotype female, 5.5 mm, NMV J47715; paratype male, 6.5 mm, NMV J47717; Point Hicks, Australia. Scales for A1,2 represent 0.2 mm, remainder represent 0.1 mm.

Figure 13. Lepidepecreum baudini n.sp. Holotype female, 5.5 mm, NMV J47715; paratype male, 6.5 mm, NMV J47717; Point Hicks, Australia. Scales for U1–3, T represent 0.1 mm, remainder represent 0.5 mm.