Netamelita lacerta, Yerman, 2009

Yerman, Michelle N., 2009, Melitidae, the Eriopisella group *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 713-717 : 714-717

Netamelita lacerta sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Type material. Holotype, sex unknown, 2 mm, AM P77559, Cobia Hole , Lizard Island (14°39.154’S 145°26.851’E), coarse sediment with shell and coral, patches of reef and sand, cores, 17 m, M. Yerman, 25 February 2005 (QLD 1663) . Paratype: 1 female, 1.82 mm, AM P78550, from reef crest off Coconut Beach , Lizard Island (14°41.037’S 145°28.282’E), coarse sand, sand patches between reef, core, 2.6 m, M. Yerman, 23 February 2005 (QLD 1620) .

Type locality. Cobia Hole , Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia .

Etymology. From the Latin word lacerta , which translates to lizard. The species is named after the type locality Lizard Island.

Description. Based on holotype, sex unknown, 2 mm, AM P77559.

Head. Head eyes absent. Anteroventral corner rounded; lateral cephalic lobe absent. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 longer than article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; flagella with 8 articles, accessory flagellum minute, with 1 article. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5. Mandible palp article 1 about as long as broad or about twice as long as broad, inner margin article 1 not produced distally; article 2 slightly longer than or subequal to article 3. Mandible molar enlarged and dominating. Maxilla 1 inner plate not visible. Maxilla 2 inner plate without marginal setal row and without an oblique setal row on the inner face.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced, rounded; anterior margin concave or produced; posteroventral corner notch absent; carpus subequal in length to propodus; propodus small, linear; palm straight, defined by posterodistal corner, without posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; carpus length 1.7 x breadth; propodus without distolateral crown. Pereopod 5 dactylus unguis anterior margin without accessory spines. Pereopods 5–7 basis posterior margin straight and castelloserrate; dactylus unguis anterior margin without accessory spines.

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner with small acute spine, and posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 without spines or gape. Urosomite 2 without small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with basofacial robust seta, longer than rami. Uropod 2 slender, apically acute. Uropod 3 outer ramus long (up to 5 x breadth), about 2 x length of peduncle or much longer than peduncle, distally acute or sub-acute, 1-articulate; inner ramus scale-like, much shorter than the outer ramus. Telson deeply cleft, with 2 short apical robust setae on each lobe, without dorsal robust setae.

Habitat. Coarse shelly sand with coral rubble. Probably interstitial.

Remarks. Currently there are four species in the genus Netamelita : N. brocha Thomas & Barnard, 1991 ; N. barnardi McKinney, Kalke & Holland, 1978 ; N. cortada J.L. Barnard, 1962 ; and N. tabaci Thomas & Barnard, 1991 . Along with the new species, other Netamelita species have a small linear gnathopod 1 with an acute palm, and long carpus on gnathopod 2. Netamelita lacerta differs from all other species based on a unique set of characteristics: eyes absent, 8-articulate antenna 1 flagellum and gnathopod 1 carpus length 1.7 x breadth. It is most similar to N. brocha and N. tabaci . The new species differs from N. brocha and N. tabaci as follows: eyes absent ( N. brocha and N. tabaci have poorly developed eyes with ommatidia separated); article 1 of the mandibular palp twice as long as broad (about as long as broad in N. brocha ); article 2 longer than article 3 (subequal in length to article 3 in N. brocha ); marginal setal row on the inner plate of maxilla 2 absent (present in N. brocha ); anteroventral corner of coxa 1 rounded (acute or subacute in N. brocha ); and 1 to 2 setae on the anterior margin of the dactyli of gnathopod 2 (no setae on N. brocha ); posterior margin on the basis of pereopod 7 straight (convex in N. tabaci ); epimeron 1 posteroventral corner broadly rounded ( N. tabaci has a small acute or subacute spine); posteroventral corner of epimeron 3 with a small acute spine (strongly produced acute spine in N. tabaci ); telson with short apical robust setae (long apical setae in N. brocha and N. tabaci ).

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Netamelita lacerta sp. nov., holotype, sex unknown, 2 mm, AM P77559; paratype, female, 1.82 mm (whole animal), AM P78550, Cobia Hole and Coconut Beach, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 2. Netamelita lacerta sp. nov., holotype, sex unknown, 2 mm., AM P77559, Coconut Beach, Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef.