Paranamixis jiigurru, White & Thomas, 2009

White, Kristine N. & Thomas, James Darwin, 2009, Leucothoidae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 494-555 : 548

Paranamixis jiigurru sp. nov.

( Figs 33 , 34 )

Type material. Holotype, male, 2.7 mm, AM P79818; Picnic Beach , Palfrey Island, Lizard Island (14°41.70'S 145°26.92'E), subtidal, patch reef, rubble patch with sand bottom, 2 m, S.E. LeCroy, 3 July 2001 (SEL/LZI-2-1).

Type locality. Palfrey Island , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°41.70'S 145°26.92'E) .

Etymology. After the native Dingaal Aboriginal word, ‘ Jiigurru ’, meaning ‘ Lizard Island ’ and referring to the type locality. The Dingaal tribe believed that the Lizard Island group was created in the dreamtime and saw it as a stingray, with Lizard Island forming the body and Palfrey Island forming part of the tail.

Description. Based on holotype, male, 2.7 mm (anamorph), AM P79818.

Head. Head length less than pereonite 1+2, anterior margin truncate, without serrations or teeth, anterodistal margin quadrate with cusp; head defined by 1 acute tooth, ventral cephalic keel oblique, rostrum small to medium; eyes with 10 or more ocelli, round. Antenna 1 0.4 x body length; flagellum 7-articulate, peduncle width more than 2 x article 2. Antenna 2 0.3 x body length, shorter than antenna 1; flagellum 3- articulate. Maxilliped inner plates fused, distally rounded; outer plate smooth, lacking inner lobes; palp 4 articulate, palp article 4 elongate, slender, strongly recurved.

Pereon. Coxae 1–4 relative widths 1.0:2.2:1.3:2.0. Gnathopod 1 coxa reduced, smooth, bare, anterodistal corner produced, subtriangular, distal margin oblique, posterodistal margin subquadrate. Gnathopod 1 absent. Gnathopod 2 coxa length subequal to width, much wider than coxa 3, smooth, bare, anterodistally acute, distal margin convex with a rounded mid-distal projection, posterior margin tapered, facial setae absent; basis widened anterodistally, without tubercles or serrations, anterior and posterior margins bare; ischium bare; carpus 0.8 x propodus length, recurved, distally tapered, anterior margin smooth; propodus posterior margin concave, without teeth/serrations, with 1 mediofacial setal row displaced to midline, reaching 0.4 x propodus length, 1 row of 7 submarginal setae, palm convex, posteroproximal process absent, proximal margin extending past insertion of carpus; dactylus recurved, proximal margin smooth with 1 tubercle and 2 setae, anterior margin distally acute, reaching 0.6 x propodus length. Pereopod 3 coxa length 1.2 x width, anterodistal corner over-riding distal face of coxa 2 and extending below it, smooth, bare, anterior margin subquadrate, distal margin slightly convex, posterior margin straight, facial setae absent. Pereopod 4 coxa smooth, bare, anterior margin rounded, distal margin evenly rounded, posterior margin excavate, facial setae absent. Pereopods 5–7 coxa facial setae absent; basis length width ratios 1:1.0, 1:1.1, 1:1.2, posterior margins smooth, bare.

Pleon. Epimera 1–3 bare. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded. Uropods 1–3 relative lengths 1.0:0.8:1.2; inner and outer ramus with robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle 0.6 x inner ramus length; outer ramus 0.7 x inner ramus length. Uropod 2 peduncle 0.5 x inner ramus length; outer ramus 0.6 x inner ramus length. Uropod 3 peduncle 1.3 x inner ramus length; outer ramus 0.8 x inner ramus length. Telson 1.3 x longer than wide, apex entire.

Female. (sexually dimorphic characters). Leucomorphs unknown.

Habitat. In coral rubble from a subtidal patch reef.

Remarks. Paranamixis jiigurru sp. nov. is similar to Paranamixis fijiensis Thomas, 1997 , the only other species of Paranamixis with fused inner plates on the maxilliped. According to Thomas (1997) this character may suggest that these are actually species of Anamixis that have lost gnathopod 1. Paranamixis jiigurru differs from P. fijiensis in its wider telson, its smooth gnathopod 2 basis and propodus palm, its bare pereopods 5 – 7 basis posterior margins and its coxa 2 angle. The head angle and the gnathopod 2 dactylus setation pattern are similar to Paranamixis clarkae Thomas, 1997 , but again, P. jiigurru differs in its smooth gnathopod 2 basis and propodus palm.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Paranamixis jiigurru sp. nov., holotype, male, 2.7 mm, AM P79818 (SEL/LZI-2-1), Picnic Beach, Palfrey Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 34. Paranamixis jiigurru sp. nov., holotype, male, 2.7 mm, AM P79818 (SEL/LZI-2-1), Picnic Beach, Palfrey Island, Great Barrier Reef.