Vemana, Barnard, 1964

Hendrycks, Ed A. & Thurston, Michael H., 2025, Two new species of Vemana Barnard, 1964 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Vemanidae) from abyssal depths in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean, Zootaxa 5653 (1), pp. 97-115 : 113-114

Key to Vemana species

1. Epimeron plate 3, posterodistal corner rounded; lateral head lobe broadly rounded, not strongly produced forward................................................................................... V. compressa J.L. Barnard, 1964

- Epimeron plate 3, posterodistal corner pointed or produced into a tooth; lateral head lobe narrow and produced forward.... 2

2. Coxa 4, with posterodistal lobe.......................................................................... 3

- Coxa 4, lacking posterodistal lobe........................................................................ 4

- Coxa 1, anteroventral corner pointed; coxa 4, posterodistal lobe acute, corner produced into a strong tooth; gnathopod 2, propodus narrowly rectangular, length 3.4x width; pereopod 7, basis broad, posterior margin with six strong teeth, lacking medial constriction........................................................... V. touzeti Ortiz & Winfield, 2022

4. Gnathopod 1, propodus appearing subchelate, ventral margin sinuous; pereopod 7, basis slender, posterior margin with distinct medial constriction, distal half narrower than proximal half............................ V. lemuresa J.L. Barnard, 1967

- Gnathopod 1, propodus simple with nearly straight ventral margin; pereopod 7, basis broad, posterior margin not medially constricted........................................................................................... 5

5. Antenna 1, peduncular article 2 with strong distoventral tooth; coxa 1, anterior margin slightly concave, coxa slightly directed forward; telson broad distally, lobes broadly rounded, gap of cleft wide and shallow, ~ 20% of length... V. cuspidata sp. nov.

- Antenna 1, peduncular article 2 lacking distoventral tooth; coxa 1, anterior margin strongly concave, coxa distinctly bent forward; telson narrowed distally, lobes narrow, gap of cleft narrow and deep, at least 36% of length................... 6

6. Epimeron plate 3, posterodistal corner with prolonged strong tooth; gnathopod 1, propodus slightly longer than carpus, dactylus shorter than propodus; gnathopod 2, palm distinctly oblique; pereopod 7, basis broad, ~ 0.64x length... V. lizata J.L. Barnard, 1964

- Epimeron plate 3, posterodistal corner angular, very weakly produced; gnathopod 1, propodus shorter than carpus, dactylus longer than propodus; gnathopod 2, palm slightly oblique, almost transverse; pereopod 7, basis narrow, ~ 0.44x length................................................................................... V. geyserensis Ledoyer, 1986