Protogeton inflatus Mayer, 1903

Guerra-García, J. M., 2006, Caprellidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Great Barrier Reef and Adjacent Localities, Records of the Australian Museum 58, pp. 417-458 : 433

Protogeton inflatus Mayer, 1903

Fig. 28

Protogeton inflatus Mayer, 1903: 28–29 , pl. 1: fig. 13, pl. 6: figs. 29–32, pl. 9: figs. 11, 35, 51; Utinomi, 1947: 69.

Material examined. Syntypes, 13, 1♀, ZMA Amph. 107194, Dongala , Celebes (= Sulawesi) Indonesia; 13, QLD 1582 (poor condition); 233 , 3♀♀, QM W12566, Middle Banks, Moreton Bay , Queensland, Australia, P. Saenger & J. Cook, 1983 .

Remarks. Protogeton is characterized by the absence of abdominal appendages. Among phtisicines, this character is also present in Pseudoproto Mayer, 1903 . Nevertheless, features of pereopods 3 and 4 in males of Protogeton inflatus are unique within the Caprellidae : the carpi, propodi and view. (A) male; (B) female (ZMA Amph.

107194). Scale: 1 mm.

dactyli are curved, and with lateral expansions. Furthermore, the mandibular palp is reduced to one article in Protogeton while is normally 3-articulate in Pseudoproto . The specimens studied from Queensland are in agreement with the type material described by Mayer (1903) from Indonesia. Taking into consideration that material of Protogeton inflatus from Queensland was in poor condition, type material is illustrated to facilitate identification.

Distribution. Dongala, Celebes, Indonesia (Mayer, 1903), Tanabe Bay, Japan (McCain & Steinberg, 1970), Philippines and Papua New-Guinea (Guerra-García, 2002a, 2003); a new record for Australia.