Michelea papua, Poore, 2018

Poore, Gary C. B., 2018, Burrowing lobsters mostly from shallow coastal environments in Papua New Guinea (Crustacea: Axiidea: Axiidae, Micheleidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 77, pp. 1-14 : 12

Michelea papua sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:37FAF4C1-2B8E-44AA-B357-783EDE48B9FD

Figure 7

Material examined. Holotype. Papua New Guinea. New Ireland Province, N of Kobotteron I., 02° 36.4'S, 150° 42.4'E, 2–3 m, reef wall and rubble, (KAVIENG 2014 stn KB62), IU-2013-2781 (male, 3.2 mm).

Diagnosis. Gills fully developed. Pleopods 2, 3, 5 with 18/6, 18/8 and 25/13 marginal lamellae on endopods/exopods, respectively (pleopod 4 unknown). Telson tapering to rounded apex, length 1.15 width. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata; merus with mesial tooth.

Description. Cephalothorax 0.4 total length, about 1.65 times as long as greatest height; rostrum triangular, about half as long as basal width, slightly depressed distally, about 0.4 as long as eyestalks; cervical groove weakly defined, reaching 0.6 length of cephalothorax; longitudinal setal-row level with lateral margin of eyestalk, of 5 setae; vertical setal-row of 5 setae below horizontal row and 2 setae near cervical groove.

Pleomere 1 with dorsolateral longitudinal setal-row of 10 setae. Pleomeres 2–6 each with transverse setal-rows of 6–7 setae near midpoint; all somites also with groups of long simple setae, none with marginal setal-rows.

Antennule with elongate waisted article 1, 0.6 length of cephalothorax; articles 2 and 3 subequal, each about 0.25 length of article 1; flagella with 11 and 9 articles, longer than peduncle. Antenna with distinct articulating scaphocerite, about half length of article 2; article 4 reaching to middle of article 3 of antennule; article 5 short; flagellum missing.

Mandible, maxillules, maxillae, maxillipeds 1 and 2 typical of genus. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata; merus with strong mesial tooth on right of pair only (absent on left); exopod 1.6 times ischium length.

Chelipeds equal; ischium with weak lower tooth; merus with weak tooth on slightly convex lower margin, upper margin more convex proximally than distally, 1.8 times as long as high; carpus unarmed; propodus almost cylindrical, 3.6 times as long as high; fixed finger 0.35 total length of propodus, its cutting edge with long obsoletely bicuspid tooth at midpoint; dactylus cutting edge straight, curved distally, equal to fixed finger.

Pereopod 2 unknown. Pereopod 3 propodus 2.5 times as long as wide, with 2 spiniform setae on distal-upper mesial face, 6 on distal-lower face; and 2 transverse setal-rows of 1 and 2 setae; dactylus with 2 spiniform setae on upper margin. Pereopod 4 propodus 3.8 times as long as wide, with 7 spiniform setae on upper margin, 5 on lower margin; with 2 transverse setal-rows each of 2 setae; dactylus with 5 spiniform setae on upper-mesial margin. Pereopod 5 subchelate; fixed finger with 4 distal spiniform setae; dactylus without spiniform setae.

Pleopod 1 of male lobed mesially, expanded distally, with c. 8 minute hooks, setose around midpoint and laterally, and with 5 simple seta laterally. Pleopod 2 with appendix interna sac-like, 2.5 times as long as wide; appendix masculina narrow, about third long as endopod; with 18 lamellae on lateral margin of endopod, 6 on distolateral margin of exopod. Pleopod 3 with 18 lamellae on lateral and distomesial margin of endopod, 8 on lateral margin of exopod; pleopod 4 unknown; pleopod 5 with 25 lamellae on endopod, 13 on exopod.

Telson tapering to rounded apex from one-third length; 1.15 times as long as wide. Uropodal endopod ovate, 1.5 times as long as wide, anterior margin straight, distal margin semicircular, without distal tooth, posterior margin convex; exopod ovate, 1.7 times as long as wide, anterodistal margin with 16 short spiniform setae, posterior margin with 6 blade-like setae.

Branchial formula as in M. kalbarri Poore and Collins, 2015 .

Distribution. Papua New Guinea. New Ireland Province (03° S, 151° E), 2– 3 m. depth (known only from type locality).

Etymology. From Papua New Guinea; noun in apposition.

Remarks. Michelea papua resembles M. imperieusae Poore and Collins, 2015 , from north-western Australia in having similar numbers of pleopodal lamellae but differs in the short broad rostrum (not spine like), longer antennae, and more elongate maxilliped 3 and pereopodal articles.

Figures

Figure 7. Michelea papua sp. nov., holotype: a, lateral carapace, antenna, antennule, maxilliped 3; b, carapace, antenna, antennule; c, pleomere 6, telson, uropod; d, maxilliped 3; e, f, g, pereopods 1, 3, 4; h, pereopod 5 dactylus; i, j, pleopods 1, 2. Scale bar = 1 mm.