Prachynella mediterranea ( Ruffo, 1975 )

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2012, The Pachynidae fam. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea) 3246, Zootaxa 3246 (1), pp. 1-69 : 50-51

Prachynella mediterranea ( Ruffo, 1975)

Pachychelium mediterraneum Ruffo, 1975: 440 , figs 1–4.

Prachynella mediterranea . ― Lowry, 1984: 72, figs 16–17. ― Diviacco & Ruffo, 1989: 538, figs 369, 370.

Prachynella mediterraneum . ― Barnard & Karaman, 1991: 520.

Diagnostic description. Head lateral cephalic lobe large, narrowly rounded; ventral margin subsigmoidal. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 with posterodistal spine; accessory flagellum 2-articulate, article 1 short; flagellum with strong 2-field or 1-field callynophore in male, [female not known]. Mandible lacinia mobilis absent; lamina dentata vestigial; accessory setal row absent; molar absent; palp attached midway; palp article 2 broad, shorter than article 3; article 3 with anterior margin convex, not tapered distally. Maxilla 1 outer plate with 8 setal-teeth in 5/ 3 arrangement, outer row setal-teeth with medial cusps; palp vestigial. Maxilliped inner plate small; outer plate large; palp 3-articulate (articles 1 and 2 fused). Gnathopod 1 chelate; ischium smaller than propodus, not swollen posteroproximally; carpus extremely compressed; propodus length about 2 × breadth, posterior margin well developed, palm with produced corner, pollex length about 1.4 × breadth, corner of palm with complex robust seta; dactylus reaching to corner of palm. Gnathopod 2 palm minute, obtuse. Pereonites 4–5 without dorsal spines. Pereopod 5 merus with posteroproximal shoulder. Pereopod 6 basis with posteroventral lobe weakly produced; merus as broad as long, with weak posteroproximal shoulder. Pereopod 7 basis subrectangular with posterior margin weakly dentate. Epimeron 3 posterior margin without projections, posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Uropod 3 biramous, inner ramus extending more than halfway along outer ramus but not reaching base of article 2. Telson entire.

Distribution. Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea; 160 m depth.