Ceradocus circe Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

Hughes, Lauren E., 2016, New genera, species and records of Maeridae from Australian Waters: Austromaera, Ceradocus, Glossomaera, Hamimaera, Huonella gen. nov., Linguimaera and Maeraceterus gen. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Zootaxa 4115 (1), pp. 1-81 : 12-13

Ceradocus circe Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

( Fig. 7 )

Ceradocus rubromaculatus .— Chilton, 1921: 71, fig. 9a–c.

Ceradocus circe Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005: 244 , figs 5–7.— Krapp-Schickel & Vader, 2009: 2061 –2065, (key).

Material examined. New South Wales, 2 specimens, AM P.77103, sewage pipeline , Nelson Bay, Port Stephens (32°43′11″S 152°08′28″E), 8 m, sponges and rubble, 15 March 2006, coll. C. Arango ( NSW 3053 ) ; 7 specimens, AM P.36650, Murrumbulga Point , Twofold Bay (37°04′42″S 149°53′06″E), depth unknown, subtidal breakwater wall, 17 September 1985, coll. P.A. Hutchings and S.J. Keable (Q12) ; 6 specimens, AM P.78487 east of Bermagui (36°22′36″S 150°14′54″E), 123 m, benthic sled, 8 September 1994, coll. P.B. Berents, RV Southern Surveyor ; 1 male, AM P.18340, offshore between Botany and Wattamolla (34°4′ S 151°20′E), 91 m, October 1924, coll. C.W. Mulvey ; 1 male, 13 mm, AM P.78417, Surgeons Reef , north of North West Solitary Island (30°00′27″S 153°16′13″E), 11.3 m, coral rubble and coarse shelly sediment, airlift on SCUBA, 30 April 2005, coll. R.T. Springthorpe ( NSW 2793 ).

Victoria. 1 male, AM P.18206, south-west of Point Hicks (37°55′S 149°E), 75 m, 20 June 1962, coll. CSIRO Fisheries.

Tasmania: 2 specimens, AM P.88449, Sheppards Point (42°52′S 147°19′E), depth and date unknown, coll. A. Davey ; 5 specimens, AM P.83574, Bicheno (41°53′S 148°18′E), 30 m, bryozoans and macroalga Macrocystis sp. holdfast, 8 May 1986, coll. R.H. Kuiter (Tas 26).

South Australia: 1 specimen, AM P.83573, off Catamaran , Recherche Bay (43°34′S 146°53′E), 4–5 m, October 1929, coll. M. Ward; no specimen count, AM P.2328, off Storm Bay (43°10′S 147°33′E), depth and date unknown, coll. FIS, Endeavour (1909–1914).

Type locality. 16 kms north of Circular Head , Tasmania (40°46′S 145°18′E).

Remarks. Material examined here extends the distribution of C. circe north, from Tasmania to the Australian mainland in South Australia and New South Wales.

Ceradocus circe Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005 has the same dominant gnathopod 2 palm sculpting as C. chiltoni Sheard, 1939 and C. chevreuxi Sheard, 1939 , the presence of two pair of lateral setae on the telson distinguishes C. chiltoni , however C. circe and C. chevreuxi have little character variation. Material of these species are widely distributed ( Sheard, 1939), C. chiltoni is known from New Zealand (Auckland, Akaroa and Great Barrier Island), C. chevreuxi from Gambier and Tuamotu Archipelago (Serat, 1904),? Fiji, Marshall Islands, British Solomon Islands, and Philippines ( Schellenberg 1938), while C. circe has been recorded from temperate Australian waters. Further study of these collections is required to better understand this morphologically close group.

Distribution. Australia. New South Wales: North West Solitary Island, Port Stephens, Bermagui (current study). Tasmania: Circular Head; eastern slope of Bass Strait; Sheppards Point; Bicheno; Recherche Bay ( Chilton 1921; Lowry & Springthorpe 2005; current study).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Ceradocus circe Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005, male, 13 mm, AM P. 78417, Surgeons Reef, north of North West Solitary Island, New South Wales. Image by Roger Springthorpe, Australian Museum.