Ampeliscidae, Kroyer, 1842

Poore, Gary C. B. & Lowry, James K., 2023, New Australian Species of Ampeliscidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the Great Barrier Reef and Eastern Australia with a Key to Australian Species, Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 75 (4), pp. 519-533 : 520-522

Key to species of Ampeliscidae from eastern Australia

1 Head as long as deep. Lobe on pereopod 7 basis not expanded distally, with posterior margin nearly vertical .............................................................. Haploops (One species, H. oonah Lowry & Poore, 1985 )

—— Head longer than deep. Lobe on pereopod 7 basis expanded distally, with posterior margin oblique ...................................................................................... 2

2 Flagella of antennae 1 and 2 poorly developed, with 2–4 articles. Anterolateral corner of head produced .......................... Byblisoides esferis J. L. Barnard, 1961

—— Flagellum of antenna 2, and usually flagellum of antenna 1, with more than 10 articles. Anterolateral corner of head not produced .............................................................................................................................. 3

3 Pereopod 7, free anterior margin of basis lacking setae near junction with ischium; dactylus broad at base, not spine-like ................ Ampelisca ................ 4

—— Pereopod 7, free anterior margin of basis setose near junction with ischium; dactylus spine-like .............................................................. Byblis ................. 20

4 With 1 pair of eyes and cuticular lenses ......................................................... A. capella sp. nov.

—— With 2 pairs of eyes and cuticular lenses, or eyes absent .......................................................... 5

5 Uropod 3 outer ramus ovate. Telson with robust setae along cleft and terminally ........................................................................... A. bidura Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Uropod 3 rami lanceolate. Telson with slender setae on dorsal ridges on each lobe .................................................................................................................... 6

6 Antenna 1 much longer than antenna 2 peduncle. Pereopod 7 basis overlapping merus ............................................................................................................ 7

—— Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or little longer than antenna 2 peduncle. Pereopod 7 basis not overlapping merus ............................................................. 10

7 Pereopod 7 ischium longer than merus. Uropod 2 outer ramus without subterminal spine. Coxae 1–3 without posteroventral teeth. Mandibular palp article 2 inflated .................................... A. euroa Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Pereopod 7 ischium shorter than or equal to merus. Uropod 2 outer ramus with subterminal spine. Coxae 1–3 with posteroventral teeth. Mandibular palp article 2 linear .......................................................................... 8

8 Eyes and cuticular lenses absent. Uropod 2 rami each with 1 upper spine row. Pereopod 7 basis without setae along distal margin ................................................................................... A. narooma Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Two pairs of eyes and cuticular lenses present. Uropod 2 rami each with 2 upper spine rows. Pereopod 7 basis with dense setal row along distal margin ..................................................................................................... 9

9 Antennae 1 and 2 subequal in length. Epimeron 3 with square posteroventral corner ............................................................. A. calooma Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2. Epimeron 3 with strongly projecting tooth ....................................................................... A. jingera Lowry & Poore, 1985

10 Pereopod 7 propodus linear, more than twice as long as broad .............................................. 11

—— Pereopod 7 propodus inflated, rarely more than 1.5 times as long as broad ................................................................................................................................... 12

11 Urosomites 2–3 with prominent dorsal keel. Antenna 1 peduncular article 2 more than twice as long as article 1. Epimeron 3 without posteroventral tooth ......................................................... A. acinaces Stebbing, 1888

—— Urosomites 2–3 without dorsal keel. Antenna 1 peduncular articles 1 and 2 subequal. Epimeron 3 with posteroventral tooth ........ A. ballina Lowry & Poore, 1985

12 Urosomite 1 with saddle-shaped dorsal keel. Pereopod 7 basis, anterodistal corner of lobe obscuring distal margin of ischium ... A. toora Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Urosomite 1 with simple or upturned dorsal keel. Pereopod 7 basis, anterodistal corner of lobe not obscuring distal margin of ischium .................................................................................................................................... 13

13 Uropod 2 inner ramus with 2 upper rows of short spines ....................................................... 14

—— Uropod 2 inner ramus with 1 upper row of long and short spines ............................................ 15

14 Pereopod 7 basis distal margin oblique. Urosomite 1 with evenly convex dorsal crest; urosomites 2–3 dorsum concave ........... A. australis Haswell, 1879

—— Pereopod 7 basis distal margin truncate. Urosomite 1 with asymmetrical triangular dorsal crest; urosomites 2–3 with prominent bilobed dorsal crest ................................................................... A. katoomba sp. nov.

15 Urosomite 1 with prominent dorsal keel, obliquely truncate posteriorly. Pereopod 7 basis distal margin transverse, reaching as far as angle on posterior margin of ischium. Antenna 1 reaching to end of antenna 2 article 4 .......................................... A. dimboola Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Urosomite 1 with more or less acutely projecting dorsal keel. Pereopod 7 basis distal margin oblique, reaching beyond angle on posterior margin of article 3. Antenna 1 reaching well along or beyond antenna 2 article 5 .................................................................................................. 16

16 Pereopod 7 basis about as wide as length of anterior margin. Uropod 2 outer ramus with 2 long subterminal spines. Telson 1.5 times as long as wide ................................................................... A. tilpa Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Pereopod 7 basis narrower than length of anterior margin. Uropod 2 outer ramus with 1 long subterminal spine. Telson 1.65–1.90 times as long as wide .............................................................................................. 17

17 Telson with prominent pair of posterior teeth separated from lateral margins by obvious notches. Urosomite 1 with low rounded crest .................................................................................................................... 18

—— Telson with apices not separated from lateral margins by obvious notches. Urosomite 1 with triangular crest .............................................................................. 19

18 Epimeron 3 posterior margin concave. Mandibular palp article 2 five times as long as wide. Antenna 1 reaching slightly beyond antenna 2 article 4. Telson twice as long as wide ....................... A. dingaal King, 2009

—— Epimeron 3 posterior margin straight. Mandibular palp article 2 three times as long as wide. Antenna 1 reaching to end of antenna 2 article 5. Telson 1.6 times as long as wide ................................................ A. mingela sp. nov. 19 Antenna 1 reaching to midpoint of antenna 2 article 5. Telson tapering from proximal one-third to right-angled apex. Head anterolateral lobe level with rostrum; without accessory eye pigmentation ............................................................................. A. yuleba Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Antenna 1 reaching beyond antenna 2 article 5. Telson tapering from midpoint to broad apex. Head anterolateral lobe more anterior than rostrum; with dorsal accessory eye pigmentation ............................................................................................ A. jiigurru King, 2009

20 Cuticular lenses absent. Gnathopod 1 subchelate, palm slightly oblique. Telson lobes with apical spine .................................... B. gerara Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— With 1 or 2 pairs of eyes and cuticular lenses. Gnathopod 1 simple. Telson lobes without apical spines .............................................................................. 21

21 Antennae 1 and 2 subequal in length ....................................................................................... 22

—— Antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2 ............................................................................................ 23

22 Telson semicircular, wider than long, with 2 pairs of submarginal robust setae. Pereopod 7 basis lobe with oblique truncate distal margin reaching end of merus. With 2 pairs of cuticular lenses .................................................................. B. tinamba Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Telson triangular, longer than wide, with 1 pair of posterior robust setae. Pereopod 7 basis lobe with rounded distal margin overlapping carpus. Without cuticular lenses .................................................... B. liena sp. nov.

23 Telson posterior margin bilobed. Antenna 1 reaching to midpoint of antenna 2 article 3; flagellum of 2 articles ................................................ B. wadara sp. nov.

—— Telson posterior margin truncate or rounded. Antenna 1 reaching to midpoint of antenna 2 article 3; flagellum of at least 6 articles .......................................................................................................................... 24

24 Telson with truncate posterior margin. Antenna 2 about as long as body length; article 5 as long as article 4 .................................................... B. pialba sp. nov.

—— Telson with rounded posterior margin. Antenna 2 about half as long as body length; article 5 shorter than article 4 ................................................................ 25

25 Coxa 1 not reaching anterior margin of head. Telson wider than long ......................................................................................... B. mildura Lowry & Poore, 1985

—— Coxa 1 almost reaching anterior margin of head. Telson as wide as long ......................................................................................... B. bega Lowry & Poore, 1985