Lanceola laticarpa Vinogradov

Zeidler, Wolfgang, 2009, A review of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Lanceoloidea Bowman & Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea), Zootaxa 2000, pp. 1-117 : 42-44

Lanceola laticarpa Vinogradov

( Fig. 12)

Lanceola laticarpa Vinogradov, 1957: 192–193 , figs 3, 4. Vinogradov 1960a: 206–207; 1970: 383, 384 (table). Vinogradov et al. 1982: 66, fig. 15. Vinogradov & Semenova 1996: 617.

Type material. This species was described from two male specimens, both of length 21 mm, from the Kurile- Kamchatka region of the North-West Pacific [49°23’N 158°30’E & 44°19’N 170°04’E]; from hauls of 0–5200 m and 0–4900 m respectively. Both syntypes are in the ZMMU (Mb–1046 & 1047) .

Diagnosis. According to Vinogradov (1957) and Vinogradov et al. 1982. Body length up to 21 mm. Dorsal surface of pereonites and pleonites sculptured; first pleonite with deep dorsal depression anteriorly. Head without rostrum. Eyes relatively small, reniform (? without crystalline cones). Antennae 1 relatively short; callynophore of male broadened proximally with densely pubescent anterior margin; terminal article elongate, slightly longer than preceding article. Antennae 2 are much longer than A1. Gnathopoda with relatively broad basis. Pereopod 3 similar to, but slightly shorter than P4; basis relatively broad, length 1.2–1.3x merus; carpus and propodus of similar length, about 0.6–0.7x merus; dactylus short, length about 0.2x propodus. Pereopods 5–7 with retractile, fully hooded dactyls. Pereopod 5; length about 1.4x P4; basis and merus of similar length; merus characteristically broadened medially, maximum width about 0.4x length; carpus and propodus of similar length or propodus marginally longer, about 0.6x length merus. Pereopod 6 slightly longer than P5; basis and merus of similar length; carpus slightly shorter than merus; propodus length about 1.3x propodus.

Pereopod 7; length about 0.6x P6; basis length 1.7x merus; carpus length about 0.8x merus; propodus marginally longer than merus. Peduncle of U1 slightly exceeds limit of peduncle of U2. Uropod 3; peduncle and inner ramus relatively broad; peduncle width almost 0.6x length. Telson pointed, reaching limit of peduncle of U3.

Colour, according to Vinogradov et al (1982); mainly pinkish; the integument is fairly dense.

Remarks. I have not seen any specimens of this species but accept its validity based on the observations of Vinogradov (1957) and subsequent records.

This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the dorsal depression of the first pleonite, the broader basis of the gnathopoda and pereopods 3 & 4 and the broadened merus of pereopod 5. It resembles L. sayana and L. pacifica in the relative length of pereopod 6, antennae 2 and the telson but the structure of antennae 1 is most similar to that found in L. clausi .

Distribution. Only known from the Pacific Ocean, with records from the Kurile-Kamchatka region (as detailed above), northern tropical waters [27°20’N 117°31’W] and the south-west [32°00’S 177°13’W]. It has been found in hauls from depths exceeding 9000 m to the surface.