Leucothoe alani, Kristine N. White & Traudl Krapp-Schickel, 2017

Kristine N. White & Traudl Krapp-Schickel, 2017, Red Sea Leucothoidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) including new and re-described species, European Journal of Taxonomy 324, pp. 1-40 : 10-11

Leucothoe alani sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9D0B6878-4468-4052-9C4F-CAACFA17202C

Leucothoella bannwarthi Myers, 1985: 94 , figs 74–75.

? Leucothoella bannwarthi – Barnard 1965: 492, fig. 7.

? Leucothoella banwarthii [sic] – Myers 2013: 307.

Diagnosis

Coxal plates 2–7 clearly wider than deep, coxae 1 and 2 anterodistally serrate with acute tip, coxa 4 smooth, anterodistal corner with blunt tip. Gnathopod 1 dactylus reaching half the length of propodus. Gnathopod 2 propodus palm reguarly scalloped with 2–3 distal humps. Uropod 3 ratio of inner to outer rami 2: 1, inner ramus equal to length of peduncle. Telson relatively short and broad, distally rounded.

Etymology

With gratitude, reminding our friendship with Alan Myers; especially long-lasting with the second author.

Type material

Holotype

FIJI: ♂, Viti Levu, Nasese, 18°10' S, 178° 27' E, shoreward margin of inner moat, 7 Aug. 1979 (AM P35299).

Additional material

Deposited in Alan Myers’ own collection.

Description

LENGTH. 2.2–2.5 mm.

HEAD. Antennae 1 and 2 about half length of body. Antenna 1 flagellum less than half length of peduncle, 6-articulate, accessory flagellum 1-articulate. Antenna 2 flagellum less than length of peduncle, 5-articulate.

PErEON. Coxa 1 anterior margin serrate, anterodistal corner acute, deeper than wide. Gnathopod 1 carpus proximally rounded, process elongate and slender, distally curved; propodus length 5 times width; dactylus about half length of propodus. Gnathopod 2 coxa almost twice as wide as deep, anterior margin serrate, anterodistal corner with acute lengthened tooth; carpus elongate, with distal strong spine; propodus length greater than 2 times width, palm oblique, regularly scalloped distally with 2–3 humps; dactylus fitting palm which is longer than half propodus length. Coxa 4 anterodistal margin produced, corner blunt.

PLEON. Epimera 1–3 posterodistally rounded. Uropods 1–3 relative lengths 1.0: 0.6: 0.9. Uropod 1 peduncle subequal in length with inner ramus, outer ramus 0.9 times inner ramus length. Uropod 2 peduncle 0.4 times inner ramus length, outer ramus 0.7 times inner ramus length. Uropod 3 peduncle subequal in length with inner ramus, outer ramus 0.6 times inner ramus length. All uropods bare. Telson length-width ratio 3:2, distally rounded.

Ecology

Collected among Halimeda , sponges, including Melophlus sarasinorum Thiele and coral rubble.

Distribution

Fiji ( Myers 1985); Micronesia: Ifaluk Atoll ( Barnard 1965); Palau ( Myers 2013).

Remarks

As we generally do not believe in a widespread distribution of leucothoid species, it was tempting to check carefully the admitted morphological similarity to the type material of L. bannwarthi from the Suez Channel. The species here described is clearly smaller in size and mainly presents differences in the structure of the urosome: the telson is short and rounded, and uropod 3 rami are very different in length (the inner about twice the length of the outer).