Rhachotropis distincta (Holmes, 1908)

Hendrycks, EA & Conlan, KE, 2003, New and unusual abyssal gammaridean Amphipoda from the north-east Pacific, Journal of Natural History 37, pp. 2303-2368 : 2350-2351

Rhachotropis distincta (Holmes, 1908)

Gracilipes distincta Holmes, 1908: 529–531 , figure 35; Thorsteinson, 1941: 85 (key).

Rhachotropis distincta: Shoemaker, 1930: 316–323 , figures 41–44; Stephensen, 1944: 18; Birstein and Vinogradov, 1955: 276; Birstein and Vinogradov, 1958: 248; Barnard and Karaman, 1991: 338; Bousfield and Hendrycks, 1995: 43–45, figures 29, 30.

Material examined

Juvenile W, 6.7 mm, (appendages on one slide), CMNC 2002-0036 , Sta. 1014, Cup # 9, 34°53.22∞N, 123°02.13∞W, 4050 m, 13 January 1992 .

Remarks

This small male shows some variation from that figured by Shoemaker (1930) from the Cabot Strait (378 m) and Bousfield and Hendrycks (1995) from the Queen Charlotte Islands (0–1227 m). These differences include a shorter rostrum, longer carpus on peraeopods 3 and 4, weaker spination on the posterior margin of the basis of peraeopod 4 and shorter uropod 3 rami. Otherwise the specimen agrees with the descriptions and figures of the above authors.

Distribution

North Pacific and north Atlantic in net tows from depths of 0–7000 m. This confirmed record of 4050 m is a new depth record as previous collections came from trawls where the capture depth was not verified.