Apseudes tenuimanus Sars, 1882

Bamber, Roger N, Bird, Graham, Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, Magdalena & Galil, Bella, 2009, Tanaidaceans (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Peracarida) from soft-sediment habitats off Israel, Eastern Mediterranean, Zootaxa 2109, pp. 1-44 : 5-6

Apseudes tenuimanus Sars, 1882

A. tenuimanus, Sars, 1886 , 282–286, Pl.3.

Material examined: 1 juvenile (NHM.2008.3798), station RFI 2, 31º53.328’N 034º32.853’E, 58 m depth; fine mud, 25 May 2006.

Remarks. Recorded before off Israel (Haifa Bay) at 36 m depth by Băcescu (1961) and off Italy by Sars (1882; 1886). Not known outside the Mediterranean. This species is distinguishable from others in this region by its blunt, triangular rostrum, and reduced spination on pereopod 1 (only one ventral spine on the carpus); a small lateral spinose apophysis is present on the cephalothorax anterior to the branchial chamber.

Apseudes holthuisi B ă cescu, 1961

A. holthuisi Bäcescu, 1961 , 146–147, figs 21–27.

Apseudes talpa of Sars, 1882; Sars, 1886, 267–282, Pl. 1–2, non Cancer Gammarus talpa Montagu, 1808

Material examined: 1 female with oostegites, 1 female with oostegites (dissected), 1 juvenile (NHM.2008.3799–3800), station RFI 2, 31º53.328’N 0 34º32.853’E, 58 m depth; 1 juvenile (NHM.2008.3801), station RFI 1, 31º53.640’N 034º33.069’E, 57 m depth; 1 female, 1 juvenile ( TAU AR 28404), station RFI 6, 31º51’N 034º31’E, 58 m depth; all fine mud, 25 May 2006. 14 specimens including 1 brooding female (NHM.2008.4971–4980), RFI 2; 2 juveniles (NHM.2008. 3802–3803), RFI 3, 31°53.842’N 034°33.300’E, 57.0 m depth; 5 juveniles (NHM.2008. 3804–3808), RFI 4, 31°54.193’N 034°33.241’E, 59.0 m depth; 2 specimens (NHM.2008.3809–3810), RFI 5, 31°53.633’N 034°33.251’E, 55.0 m depth; all fine mud, 0 3 May 2007. 1 female ( TAU AR 28409), RFI 1; 2 juveniles (NHM.2008.3811–3812), RFI 2; 3 specimens ( TAU AR 28410), RFI 3; 4 juveniles (NHM.2008.3813–3816), RFI 5; 6 females, 11 juveniles ( TAU AR 28411), RFI 7, 31º48.809’N 034º28.892’E, 62 m depth; all fine mud, 20 October 2007.

Remarks. This exclusively Mediterranean species was distinguished from the north-east Atlantic species Apseudes talpa by Băcescu (1961), the type locality being “off Haifa”. Interpretation of the literature by Sieg (1983) gives a depth range from 2 to 300 m, but this is likely to be an overestimate. The carpus of pereopod 1 has two ventral spines; there is no branchial apophysis, but small anterolateral spinose apophyses are present on pereonites 2 to 6, those on the anterior pereonites being hook-like.