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.