Amaryllis brevicornis Haswell, 1879

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2002, The Amaryllididae of Australia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea), Records of the Australian Museum 54, pp. 129-214 : 134-137

Amaryllis brevicornis Haswell

Figs. 3, 4

Amaryllis brevicornis Haswell, 1879: 254 .– Haswell, 1882: 228.– Whitelegge, 1889: 54.–J.L. Barnard, 1974: 140.– Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994: 11.

Amaryllis sp. 3 .– Hutchings et al., 1989: 362.

Type material. LECTOTYPE, female, 11.2 mm, ovigerous (40 eggs), AM G5417 ; 3 PARALECTOTYPES, female, AM P 37181; Port Jackson , New South Wales, Australia, [approx. 33°51'S 151°16'E] .

Springthorpe & Lowry (1994:5) have discussed the general problem of Haswell “types”. For Amaryllis brevicornis , two lots of material in the Australian Museum collection ( AM G 5417 and P 3440) were regarded as syntypes. The first lot ( G 5417) was registered into the collection and labelled as “Type” by A. R. McCulloch in 1905; the material is from Port Jackson (the type locality and the only locality recorded for this species in Haswell’s original publication of 1879). The second lot ( P 3440), was registered into the collection in 1912 and was not then regarded as type material. It is also from Port Jackson. However, the register entries for P 3439 and P 3441 are also A. brevicornis , from Griffiths Point and Port Stephens. This set of localities—Port Jackson, Port Stephens and Griffiths Point—are the three localities given by Haswell (1882) in his subsequent report of A. brevicornis material. It seems to us that the material of AM P 3440 should not be regarded as type material.

The syntypes of A. brevicornis were mounted with glue onto a glass plate and stored in alcohol for more than 100 years. The specimens were heavily coated with precipitate from the preserving fluid. We have removed one specimen from the glass plate, peeled off the glue, and removed as much as possible of the accumulated deposit. However, many setae (for which insertion points can still be recognized) have been lost and some parts are still not clearly visible. Although we are designating this specimen as a lectotype , we have chosen to describe and illustrate in detail a female not from the type collection. The specimen described (from Clovelly Pool, AM P 37116, just south of Port Jackson ) agrees extremely well with all characters that can be determined from the lectotype .

One specimen from the original syntype series of 5 specimens is not A. brevicornis . It has a serrate epimeron 3 and is a specimen of A. keablei . It is now registered as AM P 37180.

Additional material. NEW SOUTH WALES: 16 specimens, AM P 37217 , Sugarloaf Point , 32°26'S 152°32'E, 1–2 m, coralline algae in rock pool, J. K . Lowry , 14 January 1981, stn NSW-135. 8 specimens, AM P 37218 , N of Fly Point, Port Stephens , 32°43'S 152°09'E, 20 m, sponges, shell and sediment, R. T . Springthorpe & D. Stracey , 8 November 1981, stn NSW-84. 3 specimens, AM P 37219 , Nelson Head, Port Stephens , 32°43'S 152°09'E, 18 m, bryozoans and hydroids, J . Hall , 27 October 1980, stn NSW-192. 7 specimens, AM P 37220 , same locality, 15–18 m, sand and shell grit, J . Hall & I . Loch , 27 October 1980, stn NSW-193. 6 specimens, AM P 37221 , same locality, 20–24 m, rubble on stones, J . Hall , 27 October 1980, stn NSW-197. 1 specimen, AM P5719 , off Red Rocks, Port Stephens , [approx. 32°42'S 152°06'E], dredge, A . Musgrave , 30 August 1920. 4 specimens, AM P3441 , Port Stephens , [approx. 32°42'S 152°06'E]. 4 specimens, NMV J3331 , Port Stephens. 1 specimen, AM P 22054 , E of North Head, Port Jackson , 33°49'S 151°18'E, 21 m, with sponge Teichonella labyrinthica , 27 February 1973, AMSBS , stn 07. 4 specimens, AM P 22056 , Fairlight Beach, Port Jackson , 33°48'S 151°16'E, 6–9 m, shell rubble, 26 May 1972, AMSBS. 4 specimens, AM P 37222 , Fairlight Beach, Port Jackson , 33°48'S 151°16'E, 6–9 m, shell rubble, I .

Loch, 28 February 1981, stn NSW-180. 8 specimens, AM P 37223, SE of Chinamans Beach, Port Jackson, 33°49'S 151°15'E, 9 m, dead shells and sand, Malacological Society, 8 May 1971, stn NSW-182. 4 specimens, AM P 37224, off Sow and Pigs, Port Jackson, 33°50'S 151°15'E, 5 m, shelly sand, J. K. Lowry & A. R. Jones, on FV Port Jackson, 30 September 1976, stn NSW-184. 2 specimens, AM P 37225, W of Spit Bridge, Port Jackson, 33°48'S 151°15'E, 8 m, Tethya sponge and dead mussel shells, J. K. Lowry, 9 June 1981, stn NSW-34. 30 specimens, AM P 3440, Port Jackson. 1 specimen, AM P 5720, Port Jackson. 2 specimens, AM P 5855, Port Jackson. 2 specimens, AM P 37116, Clovelly Pool, 33°55'S 151°16'E, 3–6 m, under stones, P. C. Terrill, 12 June 1979, stn NSW-210. 1 specimen, AM P 37226, Botany Bay, [approx. 34°00'S 151°13'E], NSW State Fisheries, 1975, stn NSW SF 899. 7 specimens, AM P 37227, Botany Bay, [approx. 34°00'S 151°13'E], NSW State Fisheries, 1975, stn NSW SF 901. 2 specimens, AM P 37228, off Moona Moona Creek, Jervis Bay, 35°03.5'S 150°41'E, 3 m, encrusting sponge, J. K. Lowry, 19 June 1982, stn NSW-112. 1 specimen, AM P 37229, same locality, 8 m, algae and sponge on sandy rocks and mussels, J. K. Lowry, 19 June 1982, stn NSW- 113. 8 specimens, AM P 37230, same locality, 3 m, Zonaria and encrusting ascidian in Ecklonia bed, J. K. Lowry, 19 June 1982, stn NSW-114. 2 specimens, AM P 37231, same locality, 4 m, Ecklonia holdfast, P. B. Berents, 15 October 1981, stn NSW-265. 1 specimen, P 37232, same locality, 4 m, Ecklonia holdfast, P. B. Berents, September 1981, stn NSW- 266. 117 specimens, AM P 37233 to P 37241, same locality, 4.5 m, epifauna on test of solitary ascidian, Herdmania momus , in Ecklonia bed, P. B. Berents, October 1981 – July 1982. 1 specimen, AM P 37242, off Plantation Point, Jervis Bay, 35°04'S 150°42'E, 3 m, red alga, Liagora, P.B. Berents , 21 February 1982, stn NSW-246. 169 specimens, AM P 35982, P 36702 and P 37244 to P 37248, Munganno Point, Twofold Bay, 37°06.2'S 149°55.7'E, to 7 m, sublittoral rock platform and wharf piles, S. Keable, October 1984 –December 19 85, stns FIRTA M 3- M 11. 35 specimens, AM P 37249 to P 37253,Murrumbulga Point,Twofold Bay, 37°04.7'S 149°53.1'E, to 3 m, sublittoral rock platform and breakwater wall, J. van der Velde & S. Keable, October 1984 – September 1985, stns FIRTA Q 1- Q 13.

Type locality. Port Jackson , New South Wales, Australia, Tasman Sea, [approx. 33°51'S 151°16'E] .

Description. Based on female, 11.0 mm, AM P37116. Head much deeper than long, anterior margin with notch extended into a slit; rostrum absent; eye present, elongate, reniform. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 not ball-shaped proximally, distal margin with small medial spine; peduncular article 2 medium length; flagellum with or without callynophore, calceoli absent. Antenna 2 flagellum about as long as that of antenna 1, without calceoli. Mouthpart bundle subconical. Epistome/upper lip almost straight (lateral view). Mandible lacinia mobilis a stemmed, distally-cusped blade; accessory setal row with intermediate setae; palp article 2 with 2 posterodistal setae, article 3 without A3-seta. Maxilliped outer plate with distal margin smooth, medial margin without notch.

Gnathopod 1 carpus shorter than propodus (0.8×); propodus, posterior margin without robust setae. Gnathopod 2 palm slightly acute, with 1–3 lateral robust setae, 1 medial robust seta. Pereopods 3 and 4 merus and carpus without setal fringe. Pereopod 4 coxa with anterior and posterior margins subparallel, anteroventral corner rounded. Pereopods 5–7 with distal articles elongate, dactyls short and stocky. Pereopod 5 basis expanded posteriorly, rounded. Pereopod 7 basis rounded posteriorly, posteroventral corner rounded, posteroventral margin straight.

Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, with notch well above rounded posteroventral corner. Uropod 1 peduncle dorsolateral margin with 8 robust setae; outer ramus without large spines between robust setae. Uropod 2 inner ramus slightly constricted. Uropod 3 rami lanceolate; without plumose setae; outer ramus 1-articulate. Telson moderately cleft (about 40%).

represent 0.05 mm; remainder represent 0.1 mm.

Variation. Amaryllis brevicornis , as we regard it here, shows more variation in the robust setae of gnathopod 2 palm than does any other species of Amaryllis . Adult females can be found with from 1 to 4 lateral (but always 1 medial) robust setae on the palm. There is also some variation in the arrangement of robust setae on the outer ramus of uropod 1. In some specimens, instead of regular spacing of the setae there is a distinct gap between the 1 or 2 proximal robust setae and the 1 or 2 distal robust setae. The variation in these characters does not occur consistently with either size or geographical distribution, with any other character, or with each other. (A similar gap in the uropod 1 robust setae also occurs in A. migo , but in this case it consistently appears with other species characters.)

Remarks. Amaryllis brevicornis belongs to the group of species with a smooth posterior margin on epimeron 3 and a rounded posteroventral corner on the basis of pereopod 7. Within this group it is most similar to A. kamata , from which it differs in the shape of the epistome and the length of the gnathopod 1 carpus.

Habitat. Amaryllis brevicornis has been often collected with sponges; less often with other sessile invertebrates such as bryozoans, hydroids and ascidians, or in algal holdfasts, coralline algae and coarse rubble.

Distribution. Coastal New South Wales, southeastern Australia; to 24 m depth.