Bemlos mollis Myers, 1988

Myers, Alan A., 2009, Aoridae *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 220-278 : 245-246

Bemlos mollis Myers, 1988

( Figs 19 , 20 )

Bemlos mollis Myers, 1988b: 271 , figs 4–6. — Lowry & Stoddart, 2003: 68 (catalogue).

Material examined. 1 male, AM P70753 (QLD 1648) ; 1 female, AM P71464 (QLD 1794) .

Type locality. Blue Lagoon , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (~ 14°41'S 145°27'E) .

Description. Based on holotype, male, 3.0 mm, AM P37403.

Head. Head lateral cephalic lobes apically truncate. Antenna 1 flagellum with about 15 articles; accessory flagellum multiarticulate. Antenna 2 with few long setae. Lower lip with fine setae and stout setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 1 long pectinate apical seta. Mandible, palp article 3 longer than 2, posterior margin straight with setae of two distinct lengths, long setae and an under-story of much shorter regularly spaced setae.

Pereon. Pereonites 2–4 with apically acute sternal spines. Gnathopod 1 enlarged in males only; coxa unproduced anterodistally; basis robust, half as broad as long, posterodistal margin with brush of very long setae, anterodistal margin with strong flange; ischium anterior margin without flange; merus not greatly elongated, fused along its entire length with carpus, posterior margin without posterodistal spine; carpus two thirds length of propodus; posterior margin without spines; propodus anterior margin weakly setiferous, posterior margin straight, palm present, delimited from posterior margin, forming a narrow sinus, palm defined by strong posterodistal spine, with robust seta defining palm, without spine near base of dactylus; dactylus more than half length of propodus, overlapping palm. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis anterodistal margin without flange, posterodistal margin without robust setae; with few long setae along its length; merus posterior margin with very long setae; carpus longer than propodus, anterior margin not lobate, with long dense setae; propodus with long dense setae, palm with robust seta defining palm. Pereopod 3 without brush of long setae on merus. Pereopod 6 basis not produced posterodistally. Pereopod 7 significantly greater than 125% length of pereopod 6.

Pleon. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropod 1 rami subequal, peduncle much longer than broad, distoventral spine one quarter length of peduncle. Uropod 2 biramous; peduncle with distoventral spine a little less than half length of peduncle. Uropod 3 biramous, rami unequal in length, inner ramus more than twice length of peduncle. Telson with distal fine setae only.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype, female, 3.0 mm, AM P37404 ( Myers, 1988b). Sternal spines absent. Gnathopod 1 basis slender, much less than half as broad as long, anterodistal margin with flange absent; carpus subequal in length with propodus; propodus palm defined by rounded corner. Gnathopod 2 carpus subequal with propodus .

Habitat. Among algal turf and reef rubble.

Remarks. Bemlos mollis is a very fragile aorid with elongate and slender appendages. It resembles the more robust B. gladius in the setose basis of the male gnathopod 1, but lacks the spine that occurs on the male gnathopod 1 carpus of that species.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island ( Myers 1988b and current study).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Bemlos mollis Myers, 1988b, male, 3.0 mm, AM P37403, Blue Lagoon, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 20. Bemlos mollis Myers, 1988b, male, 3.0 mm, AM P37403, Blue Lagoon, Lizard Island, female, 3.0 mm, AM P37404, North Point, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.