Bemlos callistemon, Alan A Myers, 2005

Alan A Myers, 2005, Aoridae (Amphipoda: Corophioidea) from the Austral Isles, Records of the Australian Museum 57, pp. 355-360 : 355-356

Bemlos callistemon n.sp.

Figs. 1–2

Material examined. HOLOTYPE AM P47081 3. 4.8 mm. Reef platform in front of Mataura, Tubuai, Austral Isles, 1.5 m depth, calcareous and, bottle-brush red algae on coral outcrops, J.K. Lowry, 12 August 1991 . PARATYPES AM P47081 (13, 3♀♀), same locality, habitat, collector and date, 0.5–2.0 m depth .

Description. Male. Head lateral cephalic lobes apically rounded; eyes clear (in alcohol), with a dark central core. Pereon with sternal spines on segments 1–3. Head anteroventral margin moderately excavate, moderately recessed. Antenna 1 unknown. Antenna 2 slender, poorly setiferous; peduncular articles 4 and 5 subequal in length; flagellum with 6 articles, the terminal article rudimentary. Mandible palp article 3 60% longer than article 2, posterior margin straight, with setae of two distinct lengths. Maxilla 1 inner plate with one long pectinate apical seta. Labium outer plate with long mandibular processes and with both fine and stout distal setae. Maxilliped palp without winglike flanges. Gnathopod 1 coxa subrectangular, unproduced, a little less than twice as long as broad; carpus short, cupshaped; propodus more than three times length of carpus, palm short almost transverse, posterodistal margin sinuous, delimited from posteroproximal margin by a strong acute spine, resulting in a deep V-shaped incision; dactylus elongate, greatly overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 basis stout, anterior margin concave carpus about 20% longer than propodus; carpus and propodus slender, anterior margins densely clothed in long setae; dactylus overlapping palm. Pereopods 3–4 propodus posterior margin with about six strong, evenly spaced robust setae. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin with small spine above notch bearing a small seta. Uropod 1 peduncle subequal in length with rami, interramal spine more than one third length of peduncle. Uropod 2 peduncle interramal spine well developed, two thirds length of peduncle; inner ramus almost one and one half times length of peduncle. Uropod 3 inner ramus longer than outer; and more than twice length of peduncle, outer ramus with small second article. Telson with fine setae only.

Female dimorphic characters: Gnathopod 1 coxa one and one half times as long as broad; propodus palm not excavate, defined by a small obtuse process.

Remarks. This species is superficially similar to Bemlos dolichomanus from Australia (Bass Strait) but differs from that species in the broad and anteriorly concave basis and heavily setose carpus and propodus of the male gnathopod 2, in the more slender uropods 1–2, the longer mandible palp article 3, and the different configuration of the male gnathopod 1 palm.

Habitat. Red algae over coral sand.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Etymology. From the plant genus Callistemon ( Myrtaceae ), in reference to the bottle-brush-like nature of the red alga from which the holotype was collected.