Waldeckia nitens (Haswell, 1879a)

(Figs 17–20, 25 a)

Lysianassa nitens Haswell, 1879a: 255, pl. 7, fig. 5.

Lysianassa affinis Haswell, 1879a: 256 .

Waldeckia chevreuxi Stebbing, 1910: 572, pl. 47B. ― Chilton, 1921: 40, fig. 2. ― Chilton, 1922: 4. ― Hale, 1927: 314. ― Hale, 1929: 208. Stephensen, 1931: 8. ― J.L. Barnard, 1958: 102. ― Lowry & Bullock, 1976: 112 (in part, part = Waldeckia sp.). ― Barnard & Karaman, 1991: 542. ― Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994: 133. ― Lowry & Stoddart, 2003: 171.

Ephippiphora kroyeri . ― Chilton, 1921: 35, figs 1a–i.

not Waldeckia chevreuxi .— Bellan-Santini & Ledoyer, 1974: 690, pl. 32.— Lowry & Bullock, 1976: 112 (in part).— De Broyer et al. 2007: 133.

Types. Possible syntype, 1 specimen on four slides, AM P.3435. Old Collection [labeled as CO-type (K. Sheard, 1939)] (see Springthorpe & Lowry (1994)).

Type locality. Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia (33º51.0’S 151°16.0’E).

Additional Material examined. New South Wales: 31 specimens, AM P.90720, [NSW-243] Jervis Bay, off Moona Moona Creek (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 15/07/1982, hand collected on SCUBA, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 1 female, AM P.90721, [NSW-243] Jervis Bay, off Moona Moona Creek (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 15/07/1982, hand collected on SCUBA, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 1 male, AM P.90722, [NSW-243] Jervis Bay, off Moona Moona Creek (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 15/07/1982, hand collected on SCUBA, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 1 male, AM P.90723, [NSW-243] Jervis Bay, off Moona Moona Creek (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 15/07/1982, hand collected on SCUBA, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 8 specimens, AM P.90724, [NSW-228] Summer Cloud Bay, Wreck Bay (35°10.0’S 150°42.0’E), 29/11/1971, 15 m, coll. P.A. Hutchings; 1 male, AM P.90725, [M2] Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (37°6.0’S 149°53.0’E), 10/10/1984, 6 m, coll. S.J. Keable & J.T. van der Velde; 1 female, AM P.90726 [M2] Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (37°6.0’S 149°53.0’E), 10/10/1984, 6 m, coll. S.J. Keable & J.T. van der Velde; many specimens, AM P.90727, [NSW-249] Jervis Bay, off Moona Moona Creek (35°2.9’S 150°41.2’E), 13/11/1981, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 4 specimens, AM P.90728, [NSW-215] Jervis Bay, ocean side of Bowen Island (35°7.0’S 150°46.0’E), 29/11/1971, 33– 36 m, coll. P.A. Hutchings & P.B. Weate; 1 specimen, AM P.90729, [NSW-240] near mouth of Moona Creek, Jervis Bay (35°2.9’S 150°41.0’E), 24/04/1982, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 1 specimen, AM P.90730, [NSW-229] Wreck Bay near Jervis Bay, 18 m, coll. P.A. Hutchings & P.B. Weate; 8 specimens, AM P.90731, [NSW-1036] near mouth of Moona Moona Creek, Jervis Bay (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 01/ 12/1983, plankton net by hand, 8 m, coll. P.B. Berents & P.M. Berents; 1 specimen, AM P.90732, [NSW-220] Darling Point south of Jervis Bay, 23/01/1973, 18 m, coll. P.A. Hutchings; 8 specimens, AM P.90733, [NSW-242] Jervis Bay, near Moona Moona Creek (35°3.0’S 150°41.0’E), 18/06/1982, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 6 specimens, AM P.90734, [NSW-236] near mouth of Moona Moona Creek, Jervis Bay (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 19/12/1981, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 10 specimens, AM P.90735, [NSW-238] off mouth of Moona Moona Creek, Jervis Bay (35°3.5’S 150°41.0’E), 19/02/1982, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 18 specimens, AM P.90736, [NSW-239] near mouth of Moona Moona Creek, Jervis Bay (35°2.9’S 150°41.0’E), 03/03/1982, 4.5 m, coll. P.B. Berents; 1 specimen, AM P.90738, [NSW-417] Merimbula Point, Merimbula (36°52.9’S 149°56.9’E), 02/12/1988, baited trap, 35 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & S.J. Keable; 3 females, AM P.90741, [M6, M9] Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (37°6.2’S 149°55.7’E), 19/12/1985, 9 m, coll. S.J. Keable & S.J. Perry; 1 specimen, AM P.90743, [NSW-424] transect offshore from the northern end of Pambula Beach, Merimbula (36°54.8’S 149°55.8’E), 3/12/1988, baited trap, coll. J.K. Lowry & S.J. Keable; 1 female, AM P.90745, [M11] Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (37°6.2’S 149°55.7’E), 19/12/1985, 9 m, coll. S.J. Keable & S.J. Perry.

South Australia: 1 specimen, AM E.6517, Kangaroo Island, Sanders Bank (35°50.0’S 137°15.0’E), 1909– 1914, coll. FIS Endeavour; 1 specimen, AM P.90737, [SA-99] Gulf St Vincent, Sellicks Beach (35°20.0’S 138°27.0’E), 1936, coll. H.M. Hale; 1 female, AM P.90739, [801-C3/8] 4 km northwest of Port Davis Creek, Port Pirie, Spencer Gulf (33°16.0’S 137°51.0’E), 03/1980, 2.8 m, coll. T.J. Ward et al. (Spencer Gulf seagrass survey); 8 specimens, AM P.90744, [SA-95] Sellicks Beach, 04/1936, coll. H.M. Hale.

Tasmania: 15 specimens, AM P.50893, [TAS-390] north of Hippolyte Rocks, east of Fortescue Bay (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 08/04/1994 – 09/04/1994, baited trap, SEAS Project, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on the MV Martrudan; 231 specimens, AM P.50868, [TAS-371] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 17/04/1993 – 18/04/1993, baited trap, SEAS Project, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & P. Freewater on the MV Tasmanian Enterprise; 152 specimens, AM P.51035, [TAS-372] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 17/04/1993 – 18/04/1993, baited trap, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & P. Freewater on the MV Tasmanian Enterprise; 89 specimens, AM P.51189, [TAS-391] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 08/04/1994 – 09/04/1994, baited trap, SEAS Project, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on the MV Martrudan; 32 specimens, AM P.51317, [TAS-409] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 09/04/1994 – 10/04/1994, baited trap, SEAS Project, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on the MV Martrudan; 227 specimens, AM P.51330, [TAS-408] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 09/04/1994 – 10/04/1994, baited trap, SEAS Project, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on the MV Martrudan; 24 specimens, AM P.90742, [TAS-353] east of Fortescue Bay, north of Hippolyte Rocks (43°6.7’S 148°3.45’E) 16/04/1993 – 17/04/1993, baited trap, 100 m, coll. J.K. Lowry & P. Freewater on the MV Tasmanian Enterprise.

Victoria: many specimens, AM P.90767, [VIC 79] Warrnambool Bay, 29/04/1988, baited trap, coll. P.B. Berents & R.T. Springthorpe; 1 specimen, AM P.90768, [VIC-2] south-east face of Gabo Island (37°34.0’S 149°55.0’E), 19/02/1973, 28 m, coll. P.A. Hutchings.

Diagnostic description. Head lateral cephalic lobe large, broad, subacute or narrowly rounded in male, broadly rounded in female. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 without anterodistal projection. Labrum, epistome and upper lip fused. Mandible palp article 2 anterodistal margin setose; article 3 with marginal and apical setae. Labium without apical stylets on each lobe. Gnathopod 1 parachelate; basis anterior margin with slender setae; propodus posterior margin smooth. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; carpus long; propodus palm transverse, slightly concave; dactylus not fitting palm. Pereopod 6 basis posteroventral margin rounded. Pereopod 7 basis, posterior margin almost straight, minutely crenate, posteroventral margin oblique (slightly concave). Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded. Urosomites 1–3 dorsally smooth. Uropod 1 outer ramus slightly longer than inner ramus; uropod 2 rami subequal in length; uropod 3 rami inner ramus slightly shorter than outer ramus, almost reaching article 2 of outer ramus.

Depth range. 0– 100 m.

Remarks. Waldeckia nitens is very similar to W. australiensis and the distribution ranges of these two species overlap considerably. The most useful character for distinguishing these species is the gnathopod 2, which in W. australiensis is chelate with the dactylus always fitting the palm, while in W. nitens it is subchelate with the dactylus distinctly shorter than the palm.

Bellan-Santini & Ledoyer (1974) recorded W. chevreuxi (here placed in the synonymy of W. nitens) from Kerguelen Island. However, we do not believe that species to be a Waldeckia as the mandibular molar does not appear to be developed, the mandibular palp has no setae, the first gnathopod is simple, the merus of pereopod 7 is not expanded, the outer ramus of uropod 3 is only 1-articulate and the rami have no plumose setae and the apical robust setae of the telson are not strongly developed.

Distribution. Australia: South Australia; Tasmania; Victoria; New South Wales.