Maera serratipalma Nagata, 1965

Appadoo, Chandani, Myers, Alan A. & Fagoonee, Indur, 2002, The genera Quadrimaera and Maera (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Melitidae) from Mauritius, Journal of Natural History 36 (6), pp. 641-673 : 657-661

Maera serratipalma Nagata, 1965

(®gures 9±11)

Maera serratipalma Nagata, 1965: 300 , ®gure 31.

Maera serratipalma: Ledoyer, 1982: 546 , ®gure 208.

Material examined

1, from coral rubble, Flic-en-Flac (20ss16.5¾S 57ss21.7¾E), 12 May 1998. 1, 2, three juv., from coral rubble and Pocockiella variegata , Flic-en-Flac, 9 November 1998. 8, 6, one juv. from Pocockiella variegata , Padina sp. and coral rubble, Flicen-Flac, 5 April 1999. One juv., from mixture of Sargassum sp. , Amphiroa sp. , Pocockiella variegata and Cymodocea sp. , Bain Boeuf (19ss59¾S 57ss36¾E), 16 June 1999. 5, 4 from coral rubble and Pocockiella variegata , Flic-en-Flac, 2 August 1999. 6, 6, one juv., from coral rubble, Padina sp. and Pocockiella variegata, Flicen-Flac , 10 December 1999. 3, 2, from coral rubble, Padina , Pocockiella variegata and Turbinaria ornata , Flic-en-Flac, 27 January 2000.

Description

Male. Length, 3.6 mm. Head without subocular notch; eyes subround. Antenna 1 peduncle article 1 subequal in length with article 2 and bearing three strong robust setae on ventral margin; peduncle article 3, 0.2 times length of article 2; ¯agellum with 14 articles; accessory ¯agellum four-articulate. Antenna 2 peduncle article 5 much shorter than article 4; ¯agellum ®ve-articulate. Mandible palp article 1 with a small tooth; article 2, with about ten setae: article 3, 0.7 times article 2, and with ®ve long apical setae and four medial setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with two terminal setae. Maxilla 2 outer plate slightly wider than inner plate. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventrally produced; basis 2.7 times as long as broad with setae on anterior margin; carpus twice as long as broad, anterior margin with subdistal excavation; propodus twice as long as broad with convex palmar border de®ned by two stout robust setae, palmar margin with groups of ®ne and robust setae; dactylus ®tting palm. Gnathopod 2 basis 3.5 times as long as broad; postero-distal borders of ischium and merus produced; carpus reduced; propodus subquadrate 1.5 times as long as broad; palmar margin transverse, with ®ve teeth and ®ve excavations occurring at regular intervals, the distal-most excavation semi-elliptical; dactylus posterior margin with short setae, anterior one with a medial long seta. Pereopod 3±4 basis four times as long as broad with numerous setae on anterior and posterior margins; merus weakly expanded distally; propodus slender; dactylus slightly concave at tip but not bi®d. Pereopod 5 basis subquadrate, 1.8 times as long as broad, anterior and posterior margin with robust setae. Pereopod 6 basis subovate, 1.6 times as long as broad and bearing numerous robust setae on anterior and posterior margins; dactylus with concave tip. Pereopod 7 basis subovate, 1.3 times as long as broad, anterior and posterior margins with robust setae. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, produced posterodistally into a strong acute tooth and bearing three robust setae on the anteroventral margin. Uropod 1 peduncle and rami with many robust setae; rami subequal in length and 0.8 times peduncle. Uropod 2 peduncle and rami with robust setae; outer ramus 0.9 times inner ramus; inner ramus 1.2 times peduncle. Uropod 3 inner ramus 0.8 times outer ramus; outer ramus twice length of peduncle; outer ramus with long robust setae. Telson cleft to base, each lobe 1.6 times as long as broad, lobes incised at tip with one strong robust seta on the concavity and one distally.

Female. Length, 3.9 mm. Similar to male.

Habitat. The species occurs mostly on algae associated with coral rubble.

Remarks

Present material agrees well with the description of Ledoyer (1982: 546 ±548, ®gure 208). The smooth epimeron 3 distinguishes this species from Q. serrata . The genus named Maera for this species is used in the Maera sensu lato context. It diOEers from the other Maera sensu lato and Quadrimaera spp. recorded from Mauritius by the regular teeth on the palmar margin of gnathopod 2.

Type locality. Seto Inland Sea , Japan .

Distribution. Japan, Madagascar, Mauritius.