Belkginoecetes solea, 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 : 9-12

Belkginoecetes solea sp. nov.

Figures 6–7

Type fixation. Holotype, male, here designated.

Etymology. The epithet solea is Latin for ‘horseshoe’, an allusion to the type locality Horseshoe Bay. Material examined. Holotype, 3, 3.0 mm, Magnetic Island, eastern corner of Horseshoe Bay, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, 19°07’S, 146°51’E, 1–2 m, medium size mineral sand, mud, detritus and some fine filiforme green algae, hand dredge, J. Just & R.T. Springthorpe, 21 July 1984, stn AU39, QM W29158.

Paratypes. Same data as holotype, QM W29159 (1 ovigerous Ƥ, 2 mm, 2 3 [1 exuvial], 1 juvenile, 4 abodes one of which occupied).

Description (holotype, 3). Head as long as pereonites 1 and 2 combined along dorsal midline. Rostrum straight, acutely pointed, in dorsal view reaching beyond apices of eye lobes with entire length. Eye lobes in lateral view with nearly parallel upper and lower margins, apex broadly rounded, lower anterior margin with 1 long and 1 short simple setae.

Antenna 1 approximately as long as head and pereonites 1–4 and half of 5 combined, reaching to apex of antenna 2 peduncle article 4; flagellum of 5+ articles, approximately as long as peduncle articles 2 and 3 combined. Antenna 2 approximately as long as head, and pereonites 1–7 combined; ventral projection of peduncle article 2 with broadly rounded apex, with fringe of long simple setae apically and laterally; articles 3–5 with few short simple setae; article 5 length 0.8 of 4; flagellum articles 1 and 2 with a few short robust setae.

Mouthparts, mandible palp not observed.

Gnathopod 1 propodus length 3.3 width, with 2 midposterior robust setae. Gnathopod 2 propodus length 1.9 greatest width. Pereopods 3–4 basis with a few long and a few short setae on midanterior margin, 3 long setae on lateral surface; merus with 3 groups of 1 long and 1 short setae along posterior margins. Pereopods 5–6 basis with tuft of long setae in distal half of anterior margin and 1 long and a few short setae in anterodistal corner, posterior margin with a few short setae.

Uropod 1 peduncle with dorsolateral row of 1–2 small robust setae; outer ramus slender, approximately 0.6 length of peduncle, lateral margin with 3 robust setae; inner ramus 0.9 length of outer ramus. Uropod 3 distolaterally with 3 long simple setae, mediodistally with single short simple setae. Telson width 1.3 length, apex broadly convex.

Female. Uropod 1 peduncle has 4 robust setae; uropod 3 with 2 lateral and 2 medial simple setae.

Size. Largest 3, 3.0 mm; largest Ƥ, ovigerous, 2.0 mm.

Colour and biology. Body faintly brownish to light sandy mottled, some white reticulation shining through on each side. Anterior 1/3 of head weakly purplish-brown. Antenna 1 peduncle articles 2 and 3 and flagellum redbrown. Antenna 2, except colourless flagellum, white sandy mottled, article 4 with orange-red ring proximally. Specimens were found to occupy microprosobranchs.

Distribution. Magnetic Island, north-eastern Queensland, Australia, 1– 2 m.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Belkginoecetes solea gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3, except F, paratype, ovigerous Ƥ. a 2 flag, antenna 2 flagellum; c dv and c lv, head dorsal and lateral view. Habitus scale, 3 and Ƥ: 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Belkginoecetes solea gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3, except F, Ƥ, paratype, ovigerous Ƥ. gp 1 and gp 2, gnathopods 1 and 2; p 4 and p 5, pereopods 4 and 5; us, urosome; vp, ventral projection of article 2 of antenna 2.