Hedgpethia dampieri ( Child, 1975 )

Staples, David A., 2007, A new species of Colossendeis (Pycnogonida: Colossendeidae) together with records from Australian and New Zealand waters, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 64, pp. 79-94 : 92

Hedgpethia dampieri ( Child, 1975) .

Figure 4A–D

Rhopalorhynchus dampieri .— Child, 1975: 8–10, fig. a–h Hedgpethia dampieri Turpaeva, 1973: 185

Material examined. South Australia. Great Australian Bight, 31°50.05'S, 130°45.0'E, 55 m, RV Southern Surveyor CSIRO, 13 May 2000, ( SS01 /00 stn 378), NMV J48903 (1 specimen). Holotype: Western Australia. W of Lancelin I., beam trawl, with bryozoans, 113–122 m, 5 Feb 1964, CSIRO stn 46, WAM 70–3953 (1 male).

Paratypes: Western Australia. W of Mandurah , 110 m, 23 Nov 1970, R. V . Diamantina , stn. 4. USNM 149237 , WAM 71–1789 (1 female) . SW of Jurien Bay , 110 m, 9 Dec 1970, R. V . Diamantina , stn 108, WAM 71–1791 (1 female) .

Diagnosis. A slender species with leg span to about 40 mm. Lateral processes 1, 2 and 3 separated by about twice basal diameter. Ocular tubercle short, eyes bulging. Proboscis slightly down-curved with short basal part, followed by a similarly short inflated part that narrows to a longer, tapered distal part, rounded at the tip. Abdomen almost hidden in dorsal view. Small genital pores present ventrally on 2nd coxa of legs 2–4.

Distribution. S and SW Australia. 110–122 m depth.

Type locality. W of Lancelin I. Western Australia .

Remarks. This specimen is in good agreement with Child’s (1975) description. Re-examination of the type material enables a few additional comments. Small genital pores are present on coxa 2 of the female paratypes but are not evident on the smaller holotype which Child determined to be a male. The ventrally placed abdomen is articulated at its base. Segment 10 of the dissected holotype oviger appears to be lost and segments 5–10 of the remaining oviger are missing. The terminal oviger claw of the South Australian specimen is smooth, with a fine, broad knife edge (fig. 4C) and lacks the two tiny teeth of the holotype.

Figures

Figure 4. Hedgpethia dampieri Child, 1975 (NMV J48903): A, Trunk, lateral view; B, ocular tubercle; C, oviger segment 10; holotype (WAM 70–3953) D, oviger spine. Colossendeis spicula (NMV J54504): E, palp; F, leg 2; G, tarsus and propodus; H, oviger.