Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997

Peart, Rachael A., 2007, A review of the Australian species of Ampithoe Leach, 1814 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of seventeen new species, Zootaxa 1566 (1), pp. 1-95 : 11-12

Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997

( Figs 5–6 )

Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997: 904–909 , figs 2–5. Type material. Holotype: AM P45054, female, 12.9 mm, Shark Bay , Port Jackson, NSW, 33°51.2’S 151°15.9’E, 17 Nov 1994, on macroalgae, A.G.B. Poore.

Paratypes: AM P45055, male, 10.9 mm ; AM P45056, males and females, 11 specimens, type locality .

Other material examined. AM P59679–P59680 , AM P59685–P59687 , many specimens, Clovelly Bay , Sydney, NSW, 33°55.01’S 151°15.98’E, 16 Dec 1999, K. Dempsey & R. Peart , 6 m ; AM P59668–P59677 , AM P59681 – AM P59684, 279 specimens , on Dictyota sp. off Harbord Baths , Sydney, NSW, 33°46.99’S 151°17.61’E, 8 Dec 1999 – 18 Jan 2000, 5 m , R. Peart & K. Dempsey .

Diagnosis. Antenna 2 slender, similar to antenna 1, not densely setose on ventral margin. Lower lip with lateral lobe longer than medial lobe. Maxilla 1 inner plate without slender setae. Gnathopod 1 carpal lobe subacute; carpus shorter than propodus; palm entire, without midmedial tooth, with posterodistal tooth defining palm; dactylus subequal in length to palm. Gnathopod 2 with long setae on margins, not plumose; basis posterodistal lobe large and rounded, with more than 3 slender setae; carpus shorter than propodus; palm acute, entire, without midmedial tooth, with small subacute posterodistal tooth defining palm, with 1 defining robust seta; dactylus subequal in length to palm. Pereopod 3 basis narrow; merus narrow. Pereopods 5–7 weakly prehensile. Pereopod 5 merus subrectangular. Uropod 1 peduncle distoventral spur absent. Uropod 3 peduncle with 7 distal robust setae, outer ramus subequal to inner ramus, without patch of small conical lateral denticles, without lateral setal fringe; inner ramus with 5 distal robust setae. Telson distally truncate, apical cusps small.

Habitat. Macroalgae (e.g., Dictyopteris sp. , Ecklonia radiata , Padina sp. , Sargassum sp. ) at 1–2 m depth. Nesting behaviour consists of making tubes on the surface of macroalgae or between blades. Tubes were composed of any available substance such as detritus ( Poore & Lowry 1997).

Remarks. Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997 has a similar gnathopod morphology to A. eremitis sp. nov., A. hyalos sp. nov. and A. roly sp. nov. Each of these species has elongated gnathopods and gnathopod 2 has a strongly rectangular propodus. Ampithoe caddi differs from both A. roly and A. hyalos by the absence of a midpalmar tooth on the propodus of gnathopod 2. Both these latter species have a midpalmar tooth on the gnathopod 2 propodus. Ampithoe caddi differs from A. eremitis by having the meri of both gnathopod 1 and 2 not produced to form a lobe, whereas A. eremitis has the meri of both gnathopod 1 and 2 produced to form a large, acute lobe.

Distribution. Sydney region, New South Wales, Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997, holotype, female, 12.9 mm, AM P45054, Shark Bay, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia.

FIGURE 6. Ampithoe caddi Poore & Lowry, 1997, holotype, female, 12.9 mm, AM P45054, paratype, male, 10.6 mm, AM P45055, Shark Bay, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia. Scales for antennae, mouthparts, U3 and T represent 0.2 mm, the rest represent 0.5 mm.