Maeraceterus, Hughes, Lauren E., 2016

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 : 72

Maeraceterus gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Head anteroventral corner with notch; eyes subovate. Mandibular palp article 1 without acutely produced distal corner; article 2 much longer than article 3; article 3 rectilinear with apical setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate apical plumose setae. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterodistal corner weakly produced, subacute to narrowly rounded; propodus palm transverse. Gnathopod 2 propodus enlarged and symmetrical in males; palm angle subacute (greater than 90 degrees); dactylus anterior margin with 1 seta. Pereopods 3–7 dactyli simple. Pleonites and Urosomites dorsally smooth. Epimera 2–3 posterior and ventral margins smooth. Uropod 3 unknown. Telson deeply cleft, lobes apically concave, inner margins without robust setae, apical margins with robust setae.

Etymology. From the family stem Maera , combine with the latin expression et cetera, meaning ‘and so on, and so forth’. Referring to the continually recognised diversity of the Maeridae . Gender neuter.

Type species. Maeraceterus bramblensis sp. nov., original designation.

Included species. Maeraceterus bramblensis sp. nov. and M. taaroa sp. nov.

Remarks. Maeraceterus gen. nov. is most closely aligned with Austromaera within the Linguimaera sensu lato, where the gnathopod 2 is symmetrical and propodus subacute. This genus can be distinguished from Austromaera by the gnathopod 1 propodus palm near transverse and the long robust setae on the telson , while the latter genera have subacute to acute palms and telson with short robust setae. Specimens are without uropod 3 making it difficult to assess the genus in full.