Dulichiella australis ( Haswell, 1879 )

Published, First, 2007, A revision of the tropical / temperate amphipod genus Dulichiella Stout, 1912, and the description of a new Atlantic genus Verdeia gen. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae), Zootaxa 1424, pp. 1-62 : 19-22

Dulichiella australis ( Haswell, 1879)

( Figs 11–13)

Melita australis Haswell, 1879: 264 , pl. 9, figs 6–7. – Haswell, 1882: 252.

Melita fresnelii . – Della Valle, 1893: 708 (in part) (not pl. 60, fig. 6, copy of gnathopod 2 of M. anisochir Krøyer, 1845 ). – Stebbing, 1906: 428 (in part). – Stebbing, 1910: 596–597, 642. – Chilton, 1921: 70. – Hale, 1927: 314.

Dulichiella australis . – Karaman & Barnard, 1979: 153. – Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 668. –Hutchings, et al., 1989: 362. – Lowry & Stoddart, 2003: 177. – Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005: 286, figs 50–53.

Type material. Syntypes: 5 specimens, AM G5393 ; 1 specimen AM P3495 , Port Jackson , New South Wales, Australia (approx. 33°51'S 151°16'E) .

Type locality. Port Jackson , New South Wales, Australia (33º51'S 151º16'E) .

Additional material. Male, 10 mm, AM P60600; female, AM P60601, west side of Box Head , Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia .

Description. Based on male, 10 mm, AM P60600 and female, AM P60601. Body large. Head eyes round; lateral cephalic lobe broad, truncated, anteroventral corner with slender setae. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2, with 4 robust setae along posterior margin. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5. Mandibular palp article 1 about as long as broad, inner margin article 1 produced distally; article 2 shorter than article 3.

Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight, posteroventral corner notch present; carpus subequal in length to propodus; propodus small, linear, palm slightly convex or straight, palm defined by posterodistal corner, without posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 coxa posteroventral corner notch present; (larger) propodus distolateral crown with 3 indistinct rounded spines, palm straight, posterodistal corner produced, upturned, with dactylus fitting into corner; dactylus apically blunt; (smaller) merus with sharp posteroventral spine; palm straight, lined with robust setae, posterodistal corner with robust setae; dactylus with 4 setae on anterior margin. Pereopod 5 dactylar unguis anterior margin with accessory spine. Pereopods 6–7 carpus and propodus with bunches of long slender setae. Pereopod 6 basis posterior margin straight; dactylar unguis anterior margin with accessory spine. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin straight.

Pleonite/urosomite dorsal spine formula (7-7-7-5-4-2). Pleonites 1–3 with sparse dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute or subacute spine. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 with three dorsal spines. Urosomite 2 with two groups of 1–3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae, with 2 dorsal spines. Uropod 3 outer ramus very long, length about 2 x peduncle. Telson with dorsal robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 subequal in size, similar to smaller gnathopod 2 of male; palm slightly concave; dactylus posterior margin minutely crenulate. Pereopod 7 basis expanded, posterior margin tapering distally.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic, living among bryozoans, sponges, ascidians and algae in 4 to 120 m depth.

Remarks. Three Indo Pacific species, Dulichiella australis , D. oahu and D. tulear , all have three spines on the distolateral crown of male gnathopod 2 and a 7-7-7-5-4/6-2 pleonite/urosomite spine formula. Duli- chiella australis differs from D. tulear in the narrower propodus of the smaller male gnathopod 2, and in the smooth posteroventral margin on epimeron 3 (minutely serrate in D. tulear ). Unfortunately the setation of pereopods 6 and 7 is not known in D. tulear . Dulichiella australis is very similar to D. oahu . The main differences between these species are antenna 1 peduncular article 1 with four robust setae in D. australis and two robust setae in D. oahu , and the pereopodal dactyli which have one accessory spine in D. australis and two accessory spines in D. oahu .

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island ( Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005). New South Wales: Julian Rocks, Byron Bay; Mary's Rock, Cook Island; Split Solitary Island; Coffs Harbour; Boambee Creek, Sawtell (all Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005); Tacking Point ( Haswell, 1879); Manning River ( Stebbing, 1910); Port Stephens; off Burwood Beach; Box Head, Broken Bay; off Long Reef (all Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005); Port Jackson ( Haswell, 1879); Clark Island, Port Jackson; Botany Bay; off Wattamolla; off Wollongong; Jervis Bay; Twofold Bay (all Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005). Victoria: Western Port ( Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005). Tasmania: Esperance Point, D'Entrecasteaux Channel ( Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005). South Australia: Sanders Bank, Kangaroo Island ( Chilton, 1921); Spencers Gulf ( Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005).