Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae, d’Acoz & Verheye, 2017

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 : 43-46

Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:878EF97D-A2F9-486F-B109-701B7A93840A

Figs 66–71

Epimeria macrodonta forma similis – K.H. Barnard 1932: 172, in part, fig. 105.

Epimeria macrodonta – Andres 1985: 124 (in part: “breite Form”) — Andres in Sieg & Wägele 1990: 136, fig. 270. — Lörz & Coleman 2009: unnumbered photograph p. 17.

Epimeria aff. macrodonta – d’Udekem d’Acoz & Verheye 2013: 62, fig. 3.8.2F.

Epimeria sp. nov. 3 – Rauschert & Arntz 2015: 61, pl. 54, unnumbered photograph (non Epimeria sp. nov. 3 p. 125).

‘ Clade A similis / macrodonta complex - MA3’ – Verheye et al. 2016 a, supplement: 2 (online).

non Epimeria macrodonta Walker, 1906: 16 .

non Epimeria similis Chevreux, 1912: 215 .

Etymology

The species is dedicated to Anne-Nina Lörz (formerly NIWA), as a recognition of her important contribution to the taxonomy of the genus Epimeria . The name is a genitive.

Type material

Holotype

RV Polarstern cruises:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: ♀, 36 mm, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, north of Joinville Island , 62°33.79ʹ S, 56°27.81ʹ W to 62°33.71ʹ S, 56°28.31ʹ W, 248 m, muddy bottom with stones, Pentapora - like bryozoans and a lot of life, Agassiz trawl, 26 Jan. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122929A ) [extraction K35; Genbank nr, 28S: KU759647 ].

Paratypes

RV Polarstern cruises:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: 1 spec., photographed, cruise PS14, ANT-VII/4, EPOS leg 3, stn 230, eastern Weddell Sea, 75°14.2ʹ S, 26°59.4ʹ W to 75°14.5ʹ S, 26°59.9ʹ W, 270–275 m, Agassiz trawl, 30 Jan. 1989, coll. C. De Broyer ( RBINS, INV. 132721); 4 specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 605-1, Elephant Island, 61°20.35ʹ S, 55°29.16ʹ W to 61°19.98ʹ S, 55°32.67ʹ W, 146–151 m, bottom trawl, 19 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122571); 2 specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 605-1, Elephant Island, 61°20.35ʹ S, 55°29.16ʹ W to 61°19.98ʹ S, 55°32.67ʹ W, 146–151 m, bottom trawl, 19 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert, (MNHN-IU- 2014 -7329, removed from RBINS, INV. 122571); 7 medium-sized and small specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 605-1, Elephant Island, 61°20.35ʹ S, 55°29.16ʹ W to 61°19.98ʹ S, 55°32.67ʹ W, 146–151 m, bottom trawl, 19 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122573); 3 specs, cruise PS69, ANT- XXIII/8, stn 605-5, Elephant Island, 61°20.27ʹ S, 55°30.92ʹ W to 61°20.37ʹ S, 55°28.99ʹ W, 131–152 m, Agassiz trawl, 20 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122567); 1 spec., cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 614-3/4/5, Elephant Island, 60°52.37ʹ S, 55°29.80ʹ W to 60°52.71ʹ S, 55°27.83ʹ W, 248–265 m, a lot of epifauna, Rauschert dredge and Agassiz trawl, 22 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122568); 1 large spec., cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 686-1, Bransfield Strait, 62°34.12ʹ S, 55°26.66ʹ W to 62°35.38ʹ S, 55°23.67ʹ W, 149 m, bottom trawl, 4 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122474); 2 large specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 689-1, north of Joinville Island, 62°27.28ʹ S, 55°18.23ʹ W to 62°27.63ʹ S, 55°14.81ʹ, 224–229 m, bottom trawl, 4 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122566); 1 spec., cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 692-1, north of Joinville Island, 62°21.76ʹ S, 55°36.96ʹ W to 62°23.62ʹ S, 55°36.42ʹ W, 263–277 m, bottom trawl, 5 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122572); 2 very large specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 693-1, north of Joinville Island, 62°25.84ʹ S, 55°35.07ʹ W to 62°25.87ʹ S, 55°32.62ʹ W, 243–291 m, bottom trawl, 5 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122471); 6 specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 726-1, Snow Hill Island, 64°30.86ʹ S, 56°40.23ʹ W to 64°31.16ʹ S, 56°40.51ʹ W, 197–199 m, Rauschert dredge, 22 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122574); 2 large specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 728-2, south of Dundee Island, 63°42.63ʹ S, 56°01.63ʹ W to 63°42.25ʹ S, 56°02.16ʹ W, 293–298 m, Agassiz trawl, 24 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert ( RBINS, INV. 122570); 1 ♀, 36 mm, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, north of Joinville Island, 62°33.79ʹ S, 56°27.81ʹ W to 62°33.71ʹ S, 56°28.31ʹ W, 248 m, muddy bottom with stones and Pentapora -like bryozoans and a lot of life, Agassiz trawl, 26 Jan. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122929 B) [extraction K 36; Genbank nr, COI: KU 870868 , 28 S: KU 759648 ]; 2 ♀♀, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, north of Joinville Island, 62°33.79ʹ S, 56°27.81ʹ W to 62°33.71ʹ S, 56°28.31ʹ W, 248 m, muddy bottom with stones and Pentapora -like bryozoans and a lot of life, Agassiz trawl, 26 Jan. 2013 ( RBINS, INV. 122951); 4 specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 162-7, east of James Ross Island, 63°58.78ʹ S, 56°46.24ʹ W to 63°59.02ʹ S, 56°46.26ʹ W, 214–216 m, bottom with Glyptonotus and Echiniphimedia cf. hodgsoni, Agassiz trawl, 10 Feb. 2013 ( RBINS, INV. 122940) [extraction ANT 35: largest specimen; Genbank nr, 28 S: KU 759594 ]; 3 specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 162-7, east of James Ross Island, 63°58.78ʹ S, 56°46.24ʹ W to 63°59.02ʹ S, 56°46.26ʹ W, 214–216 m, bottom with Glyptonotus and Echiniphimedia cf. hodgsoni, Agassiz trawl, 10 Feb. 2013 ( RBINS, INV. 122955); 2 specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 162-7, east of James Ross Island, 63°58.78ʹ S, 56°46.24ʹ W to 63°59.02ʹ S, 56°46.26ʹ W, 214– 216 m, bottom with Glyptonotus and Echiniphimedia cf. hodgsoni, Agassiz trawl, 10 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122958); 2 specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 164-4, south of Dundee Island, 63°37.28ʹ S, 56°9.11ʹ W to 63°37.29ʹ S, 56°9.58ʹ W, 102–114 m, nonmuddy bottom with a lot of life, including Molgula , big red ophiuroids, and a lot of Glyptonotus, Agassiz trawl, 11 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 132974) [extraction I 19: largest specimen; Genbank nr, COI: KU 870844 , 28 S: KU 759621 ]; 16 specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 185-3, southeast of Dundee Island, 63°51.34ʹ S, 55°41.11ʹ W to 63°51.52ʹ S, 55°41.43ʹ W, 261–296 m, non muddy bottom (a lot of life: sponges, starfishes, ophiuroids, crinoids, Pentapora -like bryozoans), Agassiz trawl, 19 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122960); 4 small specs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 185-4 southeast of Dundee Island, 63°51.53ʹ S, 55°40.74ʹ W to 63°51.53ʹ S, 55°40.43ʹ W, 253–255 m, extremely fine sand mixed with some mud and gravel, Rauschert dredge, 19 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122971); 13 juvs, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, 185-4 southeast of Dundee Island, 63°51.53ʹ S, 55°40.74ʹ W to 63°51.53ʹ S, 55°40.43ʹ W, 253–255 m, extremely fine sand mixed with some mud and gravel, Rauschert dredge, 19 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye ( RBINS, INV. 122968).

Expedition SIGNY 1991/92:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: 1 adult, SIGNY 1991/92, AGT 24, transect 2, South Orkney Plateau: Signy Island, 60.704° S, 45.452° W, 190–200 m, 15 Feb. 1992, coll. Stefan Hain ( RBINS, INV. 132686); 1 juv., SIGNY 1991/92, AGT 21, transect 2, South Orkney Plateau: Signy Island, 60.707° S, 45.437° W, 150 m, 14 Feb. 1992, coll. Stefan Hain ( RBINS, INV. 132692).

Description

ROSTRUM. Long, overreaching tip of article 1 of peduncle of antenna 1 (teeth excluded), very strongly curved, sharp-tipped in lateral view.

EYE. Very large, broadly elliptic.

PEREION–PLEOSOME TOOTH PATTERN. Pereionite 1 with medium-sized broad and blunt mid-dorsal tooth pointing upwards, with pair of well-developed, conical, dorsolateral teeth; pereionite 2 much narrower than pereionites 1 and 3, without mid-dorsal tooth and without pair of dorsolateral teeth; pereionite 3 with well-developed broad and blunt mid-dorsal tooth pointing upwards, of which the anterior margin is strongly convex and the posterior margin weakly convex, and pair of fairly large, conical, dorsolateral teeth; pereionites 4–5 with large, fairly broad, acute to subacute mid-dorsal tooth, of which the anterior border is regularly curved and the posterior border is slightly concave, with pair of large narrowly conical dorsolateral teeth; pereionites 6 to pleonite 2 with large and fairly broad, acute mid-dorsal tooth of which the anterior border is subdivided into a proximal part pointing obliquely upwards and a posterior part nearly parallel to body axis, both parts being joined by distinct blunt angular discontinuity, with pair of large narrowly conical dorsolateral teeth (these pairs of teeth are never duplicate); pleonite 3 with large narrowly triangular acute-tipped symmetrical mid-dorsal tooth, and pair of large narrowly conical dorsolateral teeth (size of mid-dorsal teeth increasing from pereionite 1 to 5, those of pereionite 6 to pleonite 3 subequal to tooth of pereionite 5.

COXAE 1–3. Strongly carinate and distally sharp.

COXA 4. Anterodorsal border straight, anteroventral border weakly curved, these two borders being joined by obtuse, blunt but distinct angular discontinuity, anterior angle scarcely projecting forward; ventral tooth long and acute; lateral carina with large tooth, which is anteriorly convex and posteriorly

concave, strongly projecting laterally and obliquely pointing backwards, carina very distant from margin of coxa at its deepest point.

COXA 5. With long, sharp, narrowly triangular, carinate, lateral tooth pointing obliquely backwards; posteroventral corner broadly rounded.

COXA 6. With long, sharp and narrowly triangular (nearly styliform), carinate lateral tooth pointing obliquely backwards.

COXA 7. With ventral border slightly curved, with posterior border straight, their convergence forming a sharp squared angle.

EPIMERAL PLATES 1–3. Posteroventral angle produced into a very long and very sharp tooth.

UROSOME TOOTH PATTERN. Urosomite 1 with large and sharp narrow tooth pointing upwards; urosomite 2 with pair of mid-sized posterior dorsolateral teeth pointing upwards; urosomite 3 with pair of mid-sized posterior dorsolateral teeth pointing upwards.

TELSON. Cleft on 0.45; tips of lobes blunt and narrow, notch narrowly and bluntly V-shaped.

PEDUNCLE OF ANTENNA 1. Article 1 with long lateral and medial teeth reaching mid of article 2 (teeth excluded) and long ventral tooth reaching about tip of article 2 (teeth excluded); article 2 with large lateral and medial teeth overreaching tip of article 3, without ventral tooth (ventral margin with scarcely distinct denticle); article 3 with medium-sized ventral tooth, about half as long as article itself.

GNATHOPODS 1–2. Carpus and propodus of normal slenderness; propodus not narrowing distally, palm distinct.

PEREIOPODS 5–7. Merus, carpus and propodus slender; basis of pereiopods 5–6 of normal width, with posteroproximal process rounded and strongly protruding, with posterodistal tooth very strong (as long as basis width for pereiopod 5, nearly as long as basis width for pereiopod 6); basis of pereiopod 7 broad with posterodistal tooth subacute, followed more proximally by small concavity, directed posteriorly but somewhat obliquely.

Colour pattern

Whitish with irregular orange-red marks and dots arranged in complex patterns and in some places merging into small irregular transverse lines. Eyes reddish. This colour pattern is very constant and highly characteristic of the species.

Body length

Up to 30 mm.

Distribution

South Orkney Islands; South Shetland Islands, including Elephant Island; Bransfield Strait; tip of Antarctic Peninsula; eastern shelf of the Weddell Sea (where it is very rare), 102– 298 m.

Remarks

Epimeria loerzae sp. nov. is a common species off the South Shetland Islands and near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is also present off the South Orkney Islands, but it is very rare in the Eastern Weddell Sea, where only one specimen was found. Its bathymetrical range is apparently rather limited, since this species was not found in samples collected below 300 m. The colour pattern and the broad angulate mid-dorsal teeth of E. loerzae sp. nov. are unique in macrodonta -like Epimeria , making its identification easy (it is most similar to E. pyrodrakon sp. nov.). The collection locality of the specimen of Epimeria loerzae sp. nov. illustrated as Epimeria sp. n. 3 by Rauchert & Arntz (2015) was given in an early draft of their book made available to the authors: ANT-XV/3 stn 355. Its coordinates are: 61°59.8ʹ S, 59°14.8ʹ W to 62°00.1ʹ S, 59°14.8ʹ W, 128–130 m, which corresponds to a position northwest of King George Island.

Figures

Fig. 66. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov. A–B, ♀, holotype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929A. C. ♀, northwestern Weddell Sea, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 162-7, RBINS, INV. 122940 or 122955 or 122958. A. Lateral habitus. B. Dorsal habitus. C. Colour in life.

Fig. 67. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov., ♀, holotype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929A. A. Facial habitus. B. Head in frontal view.

Fig. 68. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov., ♀, holotype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929A. A. Anterior half of body. B. Coxa 7 and posterior part of coxa 6. C. Posterior half of body.

Fig. 69. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov., ♀, holotype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929A. A. Head in lateral view. B. Urosome in dorsal view. C. Telson.

Fig. 70. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929B. A. Gnathopod 1. B. Gnathopod 2.

Fig. 71. Epimeria (Drakepimeria) loerzae subgen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype, north of Joinville Island, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 116-9, RBINS, INV. 122929B. A. Pereiopod 4. B. Pereiopod 5. C. Pereiopod 6. D. Pereiopod 7.