Hirondellea naturaliste, Lowry & Stoddart, 2010

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2010, The deep-sea scavenging genus Hirondellea (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Hirondelleidae fam. nov.) in Australian waters, Zootaxa 2329 (1), pp. 37-55 : 52-55

Hirondellea naturaliste sp. nov.

( Figs 12–14 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE, male, 8.0 mm, AM P.68986, east of Cape Naturaliste , Tasmania, Australia, 40°45.94’S 149°01.62’E to 40°46.54’S 149°00.27’E, 2400–2500 m, mud, clay, 10 December 1986, R. T. Springthorpe on RV Franklin , stn FR1086-04.

Type locality. East of Cape Naturaliste , Tasmania, Australia, 40°45.94’S 149°01.62’E to 40°46.54’S 149°00.27’E, 2400–2500 m depth.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the vessel, Le Naturaliste , after which the nearest point of land to the type locality was named.

Diagnosis. Head lobe broadly rounded. Epistome strongly produced, broadly rounded, truncate ventrally. Gnathopod 1 propodus palm strongly acute, slightly concave; dactylus strongly over-reaching palm, with 2 subterminal spines on inner margin. Gnathopod 2 minutely chelate; propodus length 2.2 × breadth. Epimeron 1 anteroventral corner with a sharp inwardly-directed point. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Uropod 2 inner ramus incised. Uropod 3 outer ramus article 2 long, 0.3 × article 1. Telson length 1.6 × breadth, cleft 58%.

Remarks. The Australian species H. naturaliste and H. franklin are the only species in the genus with the combination of a strongly acute palm on gnathopod 1 and a rounded posteroventral corner on epimeron 3. Hirondellea naturaliste differs from H. franklin in the strongly cleft (58%) telson, medium (40%) in H. franklin .

Distribution. East of Tasmania, Australia in 2400–2500 m depth

Figures

FIGURE 12. Hirondellea naturaliste sp. nov. Holotype male, 8.0 mm, AM P.68986.

FIGURE 13. Hirondellea naturaliste sp. nov. Holotype male, 8.0 mm, AM P.68986. Scale for MX2 represents 0.1 mm; remainder represent 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 14. Hirondellea naturaliste sp. nov. Holotype male, 8.0 mm, AM P.68986. Scales represent 0.2 mm.