Linguimaera schickelae, Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

Lowry, JK & Springthorpe, RT, 2005, New and Little-known Melitid Amphipods from Australian Waters (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae), Records of the Australian Museum 57, pp. 237-302 : 252-256

Linguimaera schickelae n.sp.

Figs. 14–16

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂, 15.4 mm, AM P 60620 , Little Bay, New South Wales , Australia , [approx. 33°59'S 151°15'E], under stones between tide marks, G.P. Whitley, 18 April 1924. 2 PARATYPES, AM P 60618 ; 1 PARATYPE ♀, 14.1 mm, AM P 60948 ; Clovelly Pool, Clovelly , New South Wales, Australia, [approx. 33°55'S 151°16'E], from under stones, 7 m, P.C. Terrill, 12 June 1979 .

Type locality. Little Bay, New South Wales, Australia, [approx. 33°59'S 151°15'E].

Additional material examined. New South Wales: 1 specimen, AM P62902, northern cove of Boondelbah Island, Port Stephens, 32°42.28'S 152°13.47'E, airlift under small boulders, 19.6 m, R.T. Springthorpe, P.B. Berents & A. Murray, 28 May 1998, stn NSW-1401.

Description. Based on holotype male, AM P60620 and paratype female, AM P60948.

Head. Lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner subquadrate, with acute/subacute spine. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2 or shorter than article 2, with 1 robust seta on posterior margin (distal); flagellum with about 26 articles; accessory flagellum with 7 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5; flagellum with about 14 articles. Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, setose along straight medial margin, longer than article 1; article 2 longer than article 3; article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with setae mainly terminal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced, acute, posteroventral corner notch present; merus with sharp posterodistal spine; carpus about 3× as long as broad; palm acute, straight, defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; left and right gnathopods unequal in size; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; (larger) subchelate; merus with sharp posteroventral spine; carpus short; palm angle acute, concave, defined by posterodistal spine, with robust setae; dactylus apically acute; (smaller) subchelate; merus with sharp posteroventral spine; carpus short; palm slightly concave, defined by posteroventral spine. Pereopod 5 basis posterior margin slightly concave or straight, posteroventral corner with acute or subacute process. Pereopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, rounded; basis posterior margin slightly concave, basis posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin straight, posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute spine. Epimera 1–2 posteroventral margin with 1 to 2 large or small spines above spine defining posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin serrate, posteroventral corner with small acute spine. Uropod 3 inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus longer (1.2 to 2× length) than peduncle; 1-articulate. Telson with robust setae on inner margins (about 4 per lobe), each lobe with 2 apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 propodus palm straight, sculptured, lined with robust setae.

Etymology. Named for Traudl Krapp-Schickel, who has contributed greatly to the revision of the Maera complex.

Habitat. Marine; littoral; under stones between tide marks and from 7 m depth.

Remarks. Linguimaera schickelae appears to be most similar to L. mannarensis (Sivaprakasam, 1970) and L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 . They all have the short tapering third article of the mandibular palp and the well defined corner of gnathopod 2 palm that is greater than 90°. Linguimaera schickelae and L. mannarensis are the only species in which the posterodistal corner of epimeron 2 has three small spines.

Distribution. New South Wales: Boondelbah Island, Port Stephens; Little Bay; Clovelly (all AM).

Australian geographic areas. Southeastern Australia.