Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982

Peart, Rachael A., 2006, A revision of Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with description of three new species from Australia, Zootaxa 1344, pp. 1-22 : 2-3

Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982

Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982: 2020 .— Barnard & Karaman, 1991: 110.— Poore & Lowry, 1997: 903 –904.— Just, 2002: 31 –40.

Type Species. Pleonexes lessoniae Hurley, 1954 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. (Based on Just 2002). Antenna 1 accessory flagellum absent. Epistome and upper lip angled posteriorly at approximately 45 degrees. Lower lip outer lobes slightly notched. Mandibular palp well developed but slender, 3 articulate. Maxilla 1 palp reduced. Gnathopod 1 coxa not produced anterodistally. Gnathopod 2 larger than gnathopod 1. Pereopods 3–4 strongly glandular. Pereopods 5–7 prehensile. Uropod 1 reaching to half length of uropod 2 (in situ). Uropod 2 peduncle with rounded distolateral projection on male specimens. Uropod 3 outer ramus with two strongly recurved robust setae, and lateral denticles. Telson subtriangular, produced distally to form two large, fleshy hooks or cusps.

Species composition. Pseudopleonexes contains five species: P. burney sp. nov., P. justi sp. nov., P. lessoniae ( Hurley, 1954) , P. n e x i s sp. nov. and P. s h e a rd i Just, 2002.

Distribution. New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, and the south-west coast of Australia.

Remarks. According to Conlan’s (1982) revision, the phenetic analysis showed Pseudopleonexes as being closely related to Ampithoe Leach, 1814 . Just’s (2002) revision provided stronger distinctions between Pseudopleonexes and Ampithoe . Pseudopleonexes also resembles the genera Sunamphitoe Bate, 1857 and Peramphithoe Conlan & Bousfield, 1982 , primarily in the shape and structure of pereopods three to seven.

Pereopods three and four in Pseudopleonexes , Sunamphitoe and Peramphithoe all have expanded, glandular bases and meri. Pereopods five to seven of the above genera all have the propodus expanded distally with a straight palm to give the impression of being prehensile.