Deutella aspiducha Gable and Lazo-Wasem, 1987

GUERRA-GARCÍA, J. M., 2003, Revision of the genus Deutella (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidea) with description of a new species, redescription of Deutella venenosa Mayer, 1890 and a key to the species of Deutella, Journal of Natural History 37 (9), pp. 1059-1084 : 1060

Deutella aspiducha Gable and Lazo-Wasem, 1987

(figure 1)

Deutella aspiducha Gable and Lazo-Wasem, 1987: 629–639 , figures 1–3.

Material examined. Male holotype, USNM 195178 , Little River Cave , Bermuda, 8 May 1982 ; female allotype, USNM 195177 , Little River Cave , Bermuda, 8 May 1982 .

Distribution. Only known from the type locality, Bermuda, USA.

Ecology. Among hydroids, shallow subtidal.

Remarks. Deutella aspiducha was recently described by Gable and Lazo-Wasem (1987). The most striking differences from all other Deutella species is the size and the shape of the last two articles (propodus and dactylus) of pereopod 5. Furthermore, this species lacks a triangular projection on the penultimate article of the palp of the maxilliped. Nevertheless, Gable and Lazo-Wasem (1987) classified this species as Deutella on the basis of the following characters: structure and proportions of the antennae, most of its mouthpart morphology, the various pereonite projections, the delineation of the palm of gnathopod 2 in males, the strong anterior insertion of gnathopod 2 on pereonite 2, the shape, length and insertion patterns of pereopods 3 and 4, and the structure of the male abdomen. Even the smallest individuals of D. aspiducha show short dorsal spines on the cephalon and pereonite 2 (Gable and Lazo-Wasem, 1987). This species is, so far, endemic to Bermuda.