Dulichiella tomioka, Published, 2007

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 : 49-51

Dulichiella tomioka sp. nov.

( Figs 37–38)

Melita fresneli . – Irie & Nagata, 1962: 19.

Melita fresnelii . – Nagata, 1964: 9.

Melita appendiculata . – Hirayama & Kikuchi, 1979: 69, figs 2–6. – Ishimaru, 1994: 49.

Dulichiella appendiculata . – Hirayama, 1986:35, fig. 220 (map). – Ishimaru, 1994: 49.

Type material. Holotype male, AMBL Amph. 21, no. 2, 7.5 mm, off Uze , mouth of Tomioka Bay , Amakusa, Kyushu, Japan, on sand shell bottom, 45 m, T. Kikuchi . Paratypes: 3 males, AMBL Amph. 21, no. 1, 7.0 mm, no. 3, 7.0 mm, no. 4, 6.5 mm, same locality .

Type locality. Off Uze , mouth of Tomioka Bay , Amakusa, Kyushu, Japan, on sand shell bottom, 45 m depth .

Description. Based on Hirayama & Kikuchi, 1979: 68, figs 2–6. 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 3 robust setae along posterior margin. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching 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 longer than article 3.

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

Pleonite/urosomite dorsal spine formula (7-9-7-5-6-2). Pleonites 1–3 with sparse dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin minutely serrate distally. Urosomite 1 with spine at midline, no conspicuous medial gape. 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, much longer than peduncle. Telson with dorsal robust setae.

Etymology. Named for the type locality, Tomioka Bay.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic, living on sand shell bottom at about 45 m depth.

Remarks. Dulichiella tomioka and D. cotesi both apparently have only two spines on the distolateral crown of male gnathopod 2. Dulichiella tomioka differs from D. cotesi in a slightly different dorsal spine formula (7-9-7-5-6-2) as opposed to (7-7-7-5-6- 2 in D. coatsi ); in the dactyli of the pereopods which have two accessory spines in D. tomioka (one in D. cotesi ); and in the basis of pereopod 7 which has a straight posterior margin in D. tomioka (concave in D. cotesi ).

Distribution. Japan. Tomioka Bay ( Nagata, 1964).