Melita latiflagella Ren & Andress, 2012

Wongkamhaeng, Koraon, Pattaratumrong, Manasawan Saengsakda & Puttapreecha, Ratchanee, 2014, Melitid amphipods from the Gulf of Thailand, with a description of Dulichiella pattaniensis, a new species, ZooKeys 408, pp. 1-18 : 4-5

Melita latiflagella Ren & Andress, 2012 Figures 10, 11

Material examined.

Lower Gulf of Thailand, Songkhla Lake (09°18'39.5"N, 99°46'46.4"E), 1 Feb 2012, Wongkamhaeng, K. PSUZC-CR-0191. (10♂; 10♀).

Type locality.

Hainan province, China Sea.

Description.

Head. Lateral cephalic lobe smooth. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 longer than article 2, posterior margin with 2 marginal robust setae and 1 ventrodistal robust seta; flagellum with 19 articles, accessory flagellum 2 articles. Antenna 2 gland cone not reaching to the end of article 3; flagellum with 5 articles. Lower lip inner lobes well developed, outer lobes pubescent. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 3 terminal plumose setae. Mandibular palp article 2 subequal to article 1.

Pereon.Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner slightly produced, posteroventral corner expanded; merus-propodussetose; carpus longer than propodus; propodus transverse, venterodistal corner produced, without defining robust seta on anteroventral corner; dactylus overlapping palm. Gnathopods 2 merus posterodistal corner produced; carpus naked; propodus 3 × of carpus length, palmar margin oblique, serrated, longer than hind margin, with 2 robust setae, posterodistal corner produced with a robust seta; dactylus fit with palmar margin. Pereopod 3 coxa subrectangular. Pereopod 4 similar to pereopod 3; coxa distally expanded. Pereopod 5 and 6 basis posterior margin rounded. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin straight.

Pleon.Epimera 1-3 rounded. Pleonite 1-3 dorsally smooth. Uropod 1 peduncle with venterodistal spine, bearing marginal robust setae, both rami with a row of marginal robust setae. Uropod 2 peduncle shorter than rami; rami subequal. Telson cleft each half with 2 apical robust setae.

Remarks.

Ren and Andres (2012) described the China Sea residing Melita latiflagella as having an antenna 2 that is long and extended. The specimens from this study are similar to those of Ren’s, but smaller in size with a total length of 3 mm as opposed to 5 mm.

Distribution.

China Sea and Songkhla Lake (current study).