taxonID	type	description	language	source
03C4CB19A663675F2223FEF1C46D2851.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. BT: 3 males, 5 females, 2 juveniles, on Turbinaria ornata, 3 m, 9 th July 2002.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A663675F2223FEF1C46D2851.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Hemiaegina minuta is widely distributed in tropical and temperate waters of the world oceans (Müller, 1990). Hemiaegina minuta has been collected from Sargassum sp and taken in plankton tows (McCain & Steinberg, 1970). Müller (1990) reported H. minuta preferring more­or­less exposed reef locations. Recently, the author has studied material of H. minuta from Papua New Guinea living on Dictyota sp, Halimeda sp, Gracilaria sp, Galaxaura sp., and Amansia glomerata (Agardh) Norris, 1979; and also from Queensland and north­western Australia on many different substrata: green algae such as Halimeda spp, brown and red algae, sponges, tunicates, Posidonia and dead corals encrusted with algal turf. and under small boulders (Guerra­García, personal observations).	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66367552223FBB1C0152AF7.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. Holotype male (MNCN 20.04 / 5418 a), living on fine sediment among soft corals of the genus Dendronephthya, 2 – 3 m, 20 July 2002 (CM). Allotype female (MNCN 20.04 / 5418 b), collected together with the holotype male. Paratypes: 6 males, 5 females, 2 juveniles (MNCN 20.04 / 5418 c), collected together the holotype; 1 male, 3 females, 1 juvenile deposited at the Albion Fisheries Research Center (AFRC), collected together the holotype Type locality. Cap Malheureux, Mauritius (20 º 18 ’ S, 57 º 47 ’ E)	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66367552223FBB1C0152AF7.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species bears the name of the Island where it was found, Mauritius.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66367552223FBB1C0152AF7.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Head and body smooth. Pereonites 6 and 7 fused. Suture between the head and pereonite 1 well marked. Flagellum of antenna 2 with 2 articles; swimming setae absent. Mandibular palp 3 ­ articulate; setal formula for terminal article 1 ­ 2 ­ 1; molar present. Pereopods 3 and 4 each reduced to minute round article. Pereopods 5 – 7 without grasping spines. Abdomen of male with a pair of uniarticulate appendages.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66367552223FBB1C0152AF7.taxon	description	Description Mature male (holotype, MNCN 20.04 / 5418 a). Body length 3.4 mm. Suture between head and pereonite 1 present; pereonite 3 longest. Pereonites 6 and 7 fused. Head and body smooth. Eye distinctive. Gills on pereonites 3 and 4, oval, length about 2 times the width; first pair 1.2 times as long as the second pair. Mouthparts. Upper lip symmetrically bilobed; each lobe carrying a distal row of minute setulae. Mandibles with palp; mandibular molar process strong; left mandible with incisor and lacinia mobilis divided into 5 teeth, followed by 3 submarginal pectinate setae; right mandible incisor divided into 5 teeth followed by lacinia mobilis divided into 2 teeth, one wider and minutely serrate, followed by 2 pectinate setae; palp with 3 articles; article 1 lacking setae; article 2 with 2 setae on left mandible and without setae on the right mandible; article 3 with setal formula 1 ­ 2 ­ 1. Inner lobes of the lower lip well demarcated, rectangular, with margin smooth. Maxilla 1 outer lobe carrying 7 bifurcate spines; distal article of palp with 4 teeth and 5 robust setae on apical end, and 3 setae medially. Maxilla 2 outer lobe rectangular, carrying 7 setae; inner lobe oval, with 6 setae distally. Maxilliped inner plate oval, with 3 simple setae and 1 robust setae (like a tooth) on distal margin; outer plate larger than inner, inner margin setulose, bearing 1 seta apically; article 3 of the palp without distal expansion. Antenna 1 a little shorter than the body length; article 2 of the peduncle the longest; flagellum 7 ­ articulate. Antenna 2 without swimming setae; peduncular article 1 without acute distal projection; flagellum 2 ­ articulate. Gnathopod 1 basis a little shorter than ischium to carpus combined; propodus oval with proximal grasping spine, palm margin almost smooth; dactylus minutely setose on inner margin. Gnathopod 2 inserted on anterior half of pereonite 2; basis slender, as long as pereonite 2; propodus elongate, length about 2 times of width, with a minute grasping spine on small proximal projection, and another two triangular projection distally; dactylus with sparse setulae medially on the inner margin. Pereopods 3 – 4 reduced to a minute round article. Pereopods 5 – 7 (from male paratype, MNCN 20.04 / 5418 c) similar to each other, smooth, without grasping spines. Penes small, situated laterally. Abdomen with a pair of 1 ­ articulate appendages, pair of lobes and single dorsal lobe with pair of plumose setae. Mature female (allotype, MNCN 20.04 / 5418 b). Body length 2.3 mm. Differences to the male: palm of gnathopod 2 straight, without projections. Oostegites on pereonite 3 and 4 with inner margin setose. Genital openings setose. Abdomen with pair of lateral lobes and single dorsal lobe.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66367552223FBB1C0152AF7.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The genus Metaprotella has been recently studied by Larsen (1997) and Guerra­García (2002 a). Metaprotella mauritiensis n. sp. has been assigned to the genus Metaprotella mainly due to the fusion of the pereonites 6 and 7, but this new species can be easily distinguished from the remaining species of Metaprotella by the absence of grasping spines on the pereopods 5 – 7, the tiny pereopods 3 and 4 and the shape of the male gnathopod 2. The new species is small in size (males: 2.21 ± 0.73 mm (mean ± standard deviation), range (1.50 – 3.40 mm); females 1.82 ± 0.43 (1.30 – 2.60 )). Curiously, although samples of sediment have been collected around the whole island, M. mauritiensis has been only found in the soft bottoms from the northern area, Cap Malheureux. The sediment in this area was surrounded by soft corals of the genus Dendronephthya. A key to species level, modified from Larsen (1997) and Guerra­García (2002 a) is provided as a basic comparison among Metaprotella species.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66B67572223FEF1C1422880.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. BT: 36 males, 41 females, 21 juveniles, on Turbinaria ornata, 3 m, 9 July 2002; AB: 1 males, 3 females, 1 juvenile, on T. ornata, 2 m, 12 July 2002; IB: 4 males, 7 females, 3 juveniles, on T. ornata, 4 – 5 m, 18 July 2002; BB: 1 male on Jania sp., 2 – 3 m, 30 July 2002.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66B67572223FEF1C1422880.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Metaprotella sandalensis has been recently redescribed in detail by Müller (1990) and the specimens from Mauritius agree with this complete redescription. This species is very common in shallow waters of the tropical Indo­Pacific Ocean (Müller, 1990). On Mauritius Island, M. sandalensis is also the most abundant and common species. The genus Metaprotella has been recently revised by Larsen (1997) and there are complete keys to the species of Metaprotella (Larsen, 1997; Guerra­García, 2002 a). A molecular approach would probably reveal the existence of cryptic species inside a complex under the name M. sandalensis. In a recent study at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, the author found a great variety of morphological forms and habitats for M. sandalensis. Further genetic studies are necessary to investigate if the variation among specimens of M. sandalensis is intra­ or interspecific. Müller (1990) reported that M. sandalensis prefers not very exposed locations. Study of material from Australia and Papua New Guinea has revealed that the species can live in many different substrate, having been found on algae, gorgonians, soft corals, sponges, ascidians, soft bottoms, coral rubbles, sea grasses, hydroids, bryozoans and mangroves (Guerra­García, personal observation).	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66B67572223FADBC7512B72.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. BT: 1 female, 2 juveniles, on Turbinaria ornata, 3 m, 9 July 2002.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A66B67572223FADBC7512B72.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The material examined was in very poor condition. The specimens have been assigned to the genus Noculacia on the basis of the combination of the following characteristics: mandibular molar absent, palp three­articulate, setal formula 1 ­ x­ 1, gills on pereonites 3 and 4, pereopods 3 and 4 two­articulate. Recently, Guerra­García (2002 b) revised the genus Noculacia, presently composed by three species, Noculacia africana Guerra­García, 2002, N. australiensis Guerra­García, 2002 and N. bullata Mayer, 1903. The female from Mauritius seems to be close to N. africana but there are slight differences in the body spination and the structure of the pereopods 3 and 4. The lack of sufficient material has prevented assigning the Mauritian specimens to Noculacia africana or to a new species of Noculacia.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A67467482223FEF1C1202FC0.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. WR: 6 males, 8 females, 18 juveniles, clinging on hydroids, 35 m, 27 July 2002.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A67467482223FEF1C1202FC0.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This species of Orthoprotella can be easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by the presence of two acute projections on the head. The species is being redescribed from specimens collected in New South Wales (Takeuchi, personal communication). Studying Mauritius this species has been found at depths of more than 20 meters in association with hydroids. In a study of the Caprellidea from the Great Barrier Reef, Guerra­García (personal observations) found many specimens of O. australis living on hydroids (mainly Macrorhynchia philippina Kirchenpauer, 1872 and Salacia sp.) and the tunicate Polycarpa sp. In the Northern Territory, Australia, O. australis was also found living on algae and sediments (Guerra­García, personal observations).	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A674674A2223FC1BC7792F67.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. GB: 1 male, 1 premature female, 3 juveniles, clinging on sponges under boulders, intertidal, 13 July 2002.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
03C4CB19A674674A2223FC1BC7792F67.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The present specimens have been identified as Paracaprella mainly on the basis of the presence of pereopods 3 and 4 reduced to 2 articles, antenna 2 without swimming setae and flagellum 2 ­ articulate, and abdomen of the male with a pair of appendages and a pair of lobes. The specimens from Mauritius are closest to Paracaprella tenuis Mayer, 1903 on the basis of the absence of dorsal and lateral body projections and the basis of gnathopod 2 not expanded (McCain 1968). Paracaprella from Mauritius and P. tenuis also resembles Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890, but the males of P. p u s i l l a have a large sharp­pointed projection on the antero­ventral margin of pereonite 2, a proximal knob on the basis of gnathopod 2 and setae on the dactylus of gnathopod 2, which are absent in the male of Paracaprella sp. from Mauritius and P. tenuis. Taking into account that the material from Mauritius is scarce and that the genus Paracaprella is still in need of further taxonomic revision, we have identified these specimens as Paracaprella sp at the moment. Differences in eye size and the propodus of gnathopod 2 prevent identification the Mauritian specimens as P. t e n u i s.	en	Guerra-García, José M. (2003): The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 232: 1-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156998
