Kerguelenia euroka, 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 : 15-16

Kerguelenia euroka sp. nov.

( Figs 13–15 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female, ovigerous (2 eggs), 3.8 mm, AM P.69003, east of Long Reef Point , New South Wales, Australia, 33°46’S 151°43’E, 176 m, dredged, 5 December 1977, FRV Kapala , stn K-77- 23-01 . PARATYPES: 1 female, 3.4 mm, AM P.69004, type locality; 1 female, 2.5 mm, AM P.69005, east of Merimbula , New South Wales, Australia, 36°52.5’S 150°18.1’E, 149–152 m, trawl, 4 September 1994, P.B. Berents, FRV Southern Surveyor, stn 05/94/145 ; 1 female, 2.4 mm, MV J61503 , 66 km south of Rodondo Island , central Bass Strait, Australia, 39°48.6'S 146°18.8'E, 82 m, sand, silt and mud, epibenthic sled, 13 November 1981, R. Wilson, RV Tangaroa , stn BSS 158S ; 1 female, 2.8 mm, MV J61504 , 6 km west of Currie , King Island, western Bass Strait, Australia, 39°54.7'S 143°43.4'E, 49 m, coarse sand, 21 November 1981, R. Wilson, RV Tangaroa , stn BSS 196 .

Type locality. East of Long Reef Point , New South Wales, Australia, 33°46’S 151°43’E, 176 m depth .

Etymology. Named for the paddle steamer Euroka wrecked off Long Reef in 1913.

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 3 setal-teeth, most setal-teeth without cusps; palp 2-articulate. Maxilliped palp article 2 longer than broad, length 1.5 x breadth. Gnathopod 1 basis margins subparallel; ischium long, length 3.7 x breadth; carpus long, length 2.4 x breadth, subequal to (1 x) propodus; propodus tapered distally, length 3.4 x breadth. Pereopods 3 and 4 propodus with short distal locking seta. Pereopod 5 basis linear, without posteroventral lobe; merus strongly expanded posteriorly. Pereopod 7 basis with posteroventral lobe extending beyond merus; merus posteroventral lobe extending beyond carpus. Pleonite 3 without dorsodistal boss. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded. Uropod 1 rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 rami absent. Telson shorter than broad.

Remarks. Kerguelenia euroka belongs to a group of species ( K. adeliensis , K. antarctica , K. compacta , K. kawatiri and K. macropoda ) in which the basis of pereopod 5 is linear. It is most similar to K. macropoda from Madagascar but can be distinguished from that species by the greater size of pereopod 5 merus and the more distal production of the posteroventral lobe of pereopod 7 merus.

The holotype female, although ovigerous, has no oostegites.

Distribution. South-eastern Australia, in 49–176 m depth.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Kerguelenia euroka sp. nov. Paratype female, AM P.69004, east of Long Reef Point, New South Wales.

FIGURE 14. Kerguelenia euroka sp. nov. Holotype female, AM P.69003, east of Long Reef Point, New South Wales. Scales represent 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 15. Kerguelenia euroka sp. nov. Holotype female, AM P.69003, east of Long Reef Point, New South Wales. Scales represent 0.1 mm.