Protophoxus K. H. Barnard, 1930

Taylor, Joanne & Peart, Rachael A., 2023, A New Genus and Five New Species of Phoxocephalidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Eastern Tasman Sea, the Otago Shelf, and The Snares, New Zealand, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 75 (4), pp. 567-600 : 584-585

Protophoxus K. H. Barnard, 1930

Protophoxus K. H. Barnard, 1930: 335 .—Barnard & Drummond, 1976: 532; 1978: 189.

Type species. Protophoxus australis K. H. Barnard, 1930 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Rostrum fully developed, unconstricted or weakly constricted. Eyes present. Antennae 1–2, flagella unreduced in female.Antenna 1 peduncle article 2 shortened, ventral setae widely spread, in middle. Antenna 2 peduncle article 1 not ensiform; article 3 with 1 seta and 1 setule; facial setae on article 4 in 1–3 weak or well-defined rows; article 5 ordinary in size. Prebuccal appendages not extended forward, rounded, massive, not strongly distinct, upper lip dominant. Right mandibular incisor with 4–5 teeth; molar not triturative, small, pillow shaped, with 3 or more splayed, semiarticulate robust setae, with patch of fine setae; palpar hump medium; right lacinia mobilis bifid, thin; mandibular palp medium to thin, article 1 short, article 2 without outer setae, apex of article 3 oblique. Lower lip with salivary cones. Maxilla 1 palp 2-articulate, inner plate with 4 setae, outer plate with 11 setal-teeth, 1 setal-tooth especially thickened. Maxilliped outer plates thin, elongate, ordinarily with robust and slender setae, palp article 3 apex not or scarcely protuberant, dactylus elongate, apical nail distinct, medium. Gnathopods small, similar. Gnathopod 1 carpus medium, free, palms acute, propodi oval to rectangular, poorly setose anteriorly. Pereopods 3–4 carpus setose posteroproximally, all posterior robust setae on propodus of pereopods 3–4 thick and stiff, midapical robust setae present. Pereopod 5 basis broad, tapering. Pereopods 5–6 merus-carpus broad to medium, basis not setose posteriorly. Pereopod 7 basis without facial and ventral setae, merus not lobed. Epimera 1–2 lacking elongate posterior setae, with midfacial setae below ventral facial ridge. Epimeron 3 variously setose, smooth posteriorly. Urosomite 3 without dorsal hook or special process. Uropod 1 peduncle without apicoventral enlarged robust seta, with special enlarged apicolateral robust seta, without basoventral setae, with dorsolateral and medial robust setae widely spread; inner ramus with marginal robust setae in 1 row, no rami continuously spinose to apex. Uropod 2 peduncle with only 1 medial robust seta confined apically, apex combed. Uropod 3 peduncle lacking extra subapical robust or slender setae, article 2 of outer ramus elongate, with 2 elongate apical setae. Telson with pair of midlateral or dorsal setules on each side, with 1 or more apical robust setae on each lobe. Five pairs of gills.

Sexual dimorphism. Antenna 1 peduncle article 1 with patch of fine setae in male. Calceoli present on male primary flagellum of antenna 1 and on peduncle article 5 of male antenna 2.

Key to world species of Protophoxus

1 Peduncle of uropod 1 with displaced robust seta on medial and lateral apices. Epimeron 3 lacking facial setation. Head without constriction in dorsal view ....................................................... ............................... [ New Zealand, Otago Shelf; 132 m depth] ... Protophoxus munida sp. nov.

—— Peduncle of uropod 1 with displaced robust seta only on lateral apex. Epimeron 3 with facial setation. Head with constriction in dorsal view ...................................... [ New Zealand; 0–195 m] .............. Protophoxus australis