Epimeria (Subepimeria)

d’Acoz, Cédric d’Udekem & Verheye, Marie L., 2017, Epimeria of the Southern Ocean with notes on their relatives (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Eusiroidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 359, pp. 1-553 : 155

Epimeria (Subepimeria) sp. 2

Epimeria puncticulata – Coleman 2007: 48, in part, plate 2 fig. d only, not fig. 25 (= E. puncticulata ). — Rauschert & Arntz 2015: 62, pl. 55.

non Epimeria puncticulata K.H. Barnard, 1930: 377 , fig. 42.

Discription

EYES. Large and narrowly elliptic.

PEREIONITE 7. Posterodorsally smooth.

PLEONITE 1. Posterodorsally smooth.

PLEONITE 2. With small sharp posterodorsal tooth.

PLEONITE 3. Posterodorsally produced into a blunt acute (nearly squared) angle.

COXA 4. with ventral corner produced into a distinct tooth ( Coleman 2007), or apparently blunt ( Rauschert & Arntz 2015) [specimen not photographed in a flat orientation?].

UROSOME TOOTH PATTERN. Urosomite 1 with well developed triangular dorsal process.

Colour pattern

Eyes red. Body whitish to yellowish, with some areas more brownish. Distinct brown transverse stripes on body segment 4 and coxa 4.

Body length

17 mm ( Rauschert & Arntz 2015).

Distribution

Eastern shelf of the Weddell Sea, 765–840 m (see remarks).

Remarks.

The identity of the E. puncticulata illustrated by colour photographs in the books of Coleman (2007: plate 2 figure d) and Rauschert & Arntz (2015: plate 55) is not clear. The photograph examined are not sharp enough to reveal all relevant details. The species is similar to E. iota sp. nov., E. teres sp. nov., E. puncticulata and E. urvillei sp. nov. Unlike E. iota sp. nov., E. teres sp. nov. and E. urvillei sp. nov., E. ( Subepimeria ) sp. 2 exhibits a distinct brown stripe on each side of pereionite 4 and on coxa 4. The colour pattern of E. puncticulata s. str. is unknown. The collection details of the specimen of Rauschert & Arntz (2015) is given in an early draft of their book made available to the authors: ANT-XVII/3 stn 138 [138-1]. The coordinates of this station are: 71°08.90ʹ S, 013°12.80ʹ W to 71°08.80ʹ S, 013°13.20ʹ W [eastern shelf of the Weddell Sea], 765– 840 m.