Verdeia grandimana ( Chevreux, 1908 )

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 : 53-54

Verdeia grandimana ( Chevreux, 1908)

( Fig. 40)

Melita grandimana Chevreux, 1908: 6 , figs 3–4. – Schellenberg, 1926: 363. – Chevreux, 1935: 115, pl. 12, figs 7, 11. –J.L Barnard, 1962: 108 (key). – Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 665.

Dulichiella grandimana . – Karaman, 1981: 39.

Type material. Holotype male, 7 mm (dissected and mounted on five microscope slides), MOM 37 0874, 17 m depth, south-west of Santa Luzia, Cape Verde, Islands, Prince Albert I, 22 July 1901.

Type locality. South-west of Santa Luzia Island , Cape Verde Islands, eastern North Atlantic Ocean, 17 m depth .

Description. Based on Chevreux, 1908: 6, figs 3–4. Body large. Head eyes ovate to reniform; lateral cephalic lobe broad, truncated, anteroventral corner subquadrate. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2. 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 not produced distally; article 2 shorter than article 3.

Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight, not produced, posteroventral corner notch absent; carpus subequal in length to propodus; propodus "stout", palm convex, palm defined by posterodistal corner. Gnathopod 2 coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; propodus palm with 3 spines, concave, posterodistal corner produced, upturned, dactylus fitting against corner; dactylus apically hooked; merus with sharp posteroventral spine; palm straight. Pereopod 5 dactylar unguis anterior margin without accessory spines. Pereopod 6 dactylar unguis anterior margin without accessory spines. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin convex.

Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal setae. Urosomite 2 with two groups of 1–3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae, with 4 dorsal spines. Uropod 3 outer ramus long, about 2 x peduncle.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic.

Remarks. Verdeia grandimana was described from one male specimen and has not been reported since. It appears to be most similar to V. subchelata . In both species, the massive male second gnathopod has an acutely angled palmar margin, but the structure of the distolateral teeth is different. The main differences are that V. grandimana has 3 spines on the palm of male gnathopod 2 and V. subchelata has 2 spines.

Distribution. Cape Verde Islands, eastern North Atlantic Ocean ( Chevreux, 1908).