Kerguelenia leura, Lowry & Stoddart, 2010

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2010, Kergueleniidae fam. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea) in Australian waters, Zootaxa 2564 (1), pp. 1-30 : 22-24

Kerguelenia leura sp. nov.

( Figs 22–24 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female, 3.5 mm, MV J61507 , off Freycinet Peninsula , Tasmania, Australia, 42°2.20 'S 148°38.70'E, 800 m, coarse shelly sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, 27 July 1986, M.F. Gomon et al., RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 45.

Type locality. Off Freycinet Peninsula , Tasmania, Australia, 42°2.20 'S 148°38.70'E, 800 m depth .

Etymology. Named for the steamship Leura which was wrecked near Little Betsey Island, Tasmania in 1886.

Diagnostic description. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 not or only slightly produced dorsodistally. Mandible incisor absent; left lacinia mobilis absent; accessory spine row absent; molar absent. Maxilla 1 outer plate with 5 setal-teeth, setal-teeth without cusps; palp 2-articulate. Maxilliped palp article 2 longer than broad, length 1.9 x breadth. Gnathopod 1 basis margins subparallel; ischium very long, length 4.4 x breadth; carpus long, length 3.9 x breadth, subequal to (0.9 x) propodus; propodus tapered distally, length 4.6 x breadth. Pereopods 3 and 4 propodus with short distal locking seta. Pereopod 5 basis expanded posteroventrally, with posteroventral lobe; merus moderately expanded posteriorly. Pereopod 7 basis with posteroventral lobe extending about halfway along merus; merus posteroventral lobe extending more than halfway along, but not beyond, carpus. Pleonite 3 without dorsodistal boss. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Uropod 1 rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous; inner ramus about 0.5 x outer ramus; outer ramus 2-articulate. Telson shorter than broad, length about 0.7 x breadth.

Remarks. Kerguelenia leura belongs to a group of species ( K. antiborealis , K. japonica , K. kanowna and K. palpalis ) in which the basis of pereopod 5 is expanded posteroventrally, antenna 1 peduncular article 1 is not or only slightly produced dorsodistally and uropod 3 is biramous. It can be distinguished from K. palpalis by the longer than broad article 2 of the maxillipedal palp and from the other species in the group by the lack of robust setae on the rami of uropod 1.

The non-ovigerous holotype female has an oostegite on pereopod 5 only.

Distribution. South-eastern Australia, in 800 m depth.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Kerguelenia leura sp. nov. Holotype female, MV J61507, off Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania.

FIGURE 23. Kerguelenia leura sp. nov. Holotype female, MV J61507, off Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania. Scales for A1, A2 represent 0.1 mm; remainder represent 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 24. Kerguelenia leura sp. nov. Holotype female, MV J61507, off Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania. Scales represent 0.1 mm.