Belkginoecetes, Just, Jean, 2012

Just, Jean, 2012, Siphonoecetini Just, 1983 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Ischyroceridae) 10: Belkginoecetes gen. nov., Tropicoecetes gen. nov. and Rhinoecetes Just, 1983 from north-eastern and northern Australian shallow water, with eight new species, Zootaxa 3528, pp. 1-28 : 2-3

Belkginoecetes gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Bubocorophiid Siphonoecetini with head dorsally smooth without anterodorsal depression. Rostrum narrow, pointed, straight to slightly down curved in lateral view. Maxilla 1 palp of 2 articles. Pereopod 1 simple. Pereopod 2 subchelate, propodus cutting edge concave, defined midposteriorly by angle and 2 robust setae, carpus posterior distal projection with single robust seta. Dactylus of pereopods 5–7 with accessory tooth. Urosomite 2 free. Telson free, proximal margin insertion in urosomite 3 hidden by urosomite 2 posterior margin. Uropod 1 biramous, ventral apical margin of peduncle with corona of fine setules. Uropod 2 absent. Uropod 3 without articulating ramus, distally with long setae laterally and short setae medially. Adult females with sternal papillae (see Just, 2012).

Remarks. Belkginoecetes gen. nov. differs from Rhinoecetes and Neoecetes Just, 2012 in lacking an anterodorsal depression on the head, in lacking uropod 2, and in having no free ramus on uropod 3.

Type species. Belkginoecetes cooee sp. nov., here designated.

Species included. Belkginoecetes bullockyensis sp. nov. B. cooee sp. nov. B. darwiniense sp. nov., B. fleurae sp. nov., B. solea sp. nov., B. springthorpei sp. nov.

Etymology. ‘Belkgin’ is an aboriginal word for mud/muddy, alluding to the mainly muddy, shelly biotopes of the species.

Note. Uropod 3 is comprised of the fused peduncle and ramus. This is borne out by the occasional presence of a rounded bump and a faint incomplete line in the cuticle at the expected normal place of insertion of the single bubocorophiid ramus. The lateral distal long setae on the bump or equivalent place are thus homologous with those on the articulated ramus of other bubocorophiids (e.g. Bubocorophium Karaman, 1981 , Rhinoecetes , Cephaloecetes , Neoecetes ), the short medial distal setae being homologous with those on the medial projection of the peduncle in those genera. This fused peduncle/ramus entity is referred to here only as uropod 3.

FIGURE 1. Maps of north-eastern and northern Australia covering the region studied. Collecting places are indicated by name and () for Belkginoecetes , (♦) for Tropicoecetes and () for Rhinoecetes . Enlarged area of Queensland and part of Northern Territory to the right. Enlarged area of Darwin region at top. Each mark may represents more than one sample.