Vibilia propinqua Stebbing, 1283

Zeidler, Wolfgang, 2003, A review of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Vibilioidea Bowman and Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea), Zootaxa 280 (1), pp. 1-104 : 40-43

Vibilia propinqua Stebbing ( Figs 16 & 17 )

Vibilia propinqua Stebbing, 1888: 1279­1283 , pl. 157. — Vosseler 1901: 124­125. Stebbing 1904: 31–32. Tattersall 1906: 14–15. Walker 1907: 6. Behning & Woltereck 1912: 5. Behning 1913a: 533, 549. Behning 1913b: 218. Stewart 1913: 246–247. Stephensen 1918: 43–46, fig. 14. Behning 1925: 484–486, figs 23–25. Behning 1927: 118, 121 (Table). Schellenberg 1927: 616–617, fig. 25. Pirlot 1929: 97–98. Barnard 1930: 404. Barnard 1932: 263. Chevreux 1935: 174–175. Barnard 1937: 182. Waterman et al. 1939: 268, fig. 5B (graph). Bulycheva 1955: 1048 (Table). Hurley 1960b: 279. Evans 1961: 203. Laval 1963: 1389–1392, fig. 1A. Siegfried 1963: 8. Hurley 1969: 33, pl. 18 (map 3). Lewis & Fish 1969: 8­9. Dick 1970: 34 (key), 52–53: Semenova 1973: 173. Lorz & Pearcy 1975: 1444 (Table). Semenova 1976: 138, fig. 2 (map). Shulenberger 1977: 378 (Table). Thurston 1976: 404. Madin & Harbison 1977: 453 (Table), 454. Tranter 1977: 647, 648 (Table). Brusca 1981: 17 (key), 39, fig. 4d, 4q. Vinogradov et al. 1982: 211–213, fig. 105. Barkhatov & Vinogradov 1988: 168 (Table), 170, 172. Vinogradov 1990a: 55–56, 93 (Table). Zeidler 1991: 128–130, figs 2, 3. De Broyer & Jazdzewski 1993: 111. Vinogradov 1993: 43 (Table). Shih & Chen 1995: 47­49, figs 24, 25. Barkhatov et al. 1999: 808 (Table). Vinogradov 1999: 1180, fig. 4.86. Gasca & Shih 2001: 496 (Table). Lima & Valentin 2001: 471 (list), 476 (Table).

Vibilia milnei Stebbing, 1888: 1284–1285 , pl. 148A.

Vibilia sp. Stebbing, 1888: 1285­1286 , pl. 148B, figs C, D.

Vibilia stebbingi [misidentification]. — Young & Anderson 1987: 712, 716 (table), fig. 2. Zeidler 1992: 96 (part). Zeidler 1998: 37 (part).

Type material

The four syntypes of V. propinqua are in the BMNH (89.5.15.177). The type locality is the Pacific Ocean, off Volcano Island, 25º30’N, 138º0’E, surface .

Type material of synonyms

The unique type of V. milnei is in the BMNH (89.5.15.178). Although the remains of the specimen, on three microscope slides, are in poor condition, it appears to be the same as V. propinqua . Stebbing (1888) himself says that “this species does not differ greatly in general appearance and structure from Vibilia propinqua ”.

Material examined (> 250 specimens)

Types. Four syntypes of V. propinqua, Challenger , 4 th April, 1875: 3 specimens in spirit and 3 microscope slides of head, G1 & 2, P3–7 and pleon. The unique type of V. milnei from the South Atlantic, surface, Challenger, 5 th October, 1873: 3 microscope slides of head, G1 & 2, P3–7 and pleon.

Other material examined. Tasman Sea : 3 lots ( SAMA), 1 lot ( ZMUC), 23 specimens . North Atlantic: 8 lots ( BMNH), 2 lots ( CMN), 15 lots ( USNM), 10 lots ( ZMB), 1 lot ( ZMH), 30 lots ( ZMUC), numerous specimens. South Atlantic : 3 lots ( BMNH), 17 lots ( USNM), 3 lots ( ZMUC), 32 specimens . Mediterranean: 24 lots ( ZMUC), numerous specimens. North Pacific: 16 lots ( LACM), 7 lots ( USNM), 1 lot (MNHN), 3 lots ( ZMUC), numerous specimens. South Pacific : 6 lots ( BMNH), 1 lot ( USNM), 32 specimens . Central Indo­Pacific : 3 lots ( USNM), 1 lot (MNHN), 5 specimens . South Indian : 1 lot ( BMNH), 8 lots ( SAM), 2 lots ( ZMUC), 14 specimens . Arabian Sea : 1 lot ( BMNH), 5 specimens .

Diagnosis

Body length up to 12 mm. Antennae 1 as long as head and first pereonite; flagellum oval with slightly straighter dorsal margin, slightly pointed distally (especially in males). Gnathopod 2; carpal process up to 0.8x length of propodus. Pereopods 3–6; dactylus length about 0.3x propodus. Pereopod 7; basis rectangular, width about 0.8x length, marginally longer than ischium to carpus combined, with rounded posterodistal lobe extending to first­third of merus. Lateral corners of last urosomite not produced. Uropod 3; peduncle distinctly longer than rami (relatively longer in males); endopod slightly longer, or subequal in length to exopod in females, in males the endopod is slightly broader, and up to one­third longer than the exopod. Telson triangular, length about 0.7x peduncle of U3.

Remarks

This species most closely resembles V. antarctica but is distinguished by the shorter carpal process of gnathopod 2, the less truncate first antennae, and in preferring warmer waters. It has been confused with V. stebbingi because the carpal process of gnathopod 2 can be relatively short in some specimens, particularly in females, but V. stebbingi is a much smaller species and is distinguished by the narrow anterodistal lobe of the basis of pereopod 7. Also, sexual dimorphism of uropod 3 is not evident in V. stebbingi .

Vibilia propinqua also resembles V. jeangerardi , and V. gibbosa , but is distinguished by the relatively narrower and more pointed flagellum of antennae 1, the relatively longer and more pointed telson, and by the relatively larger posterodistal lobe of the basis of pereopod 7.

Laval (1963, 1965) has described the larval biology of V. propinqua , and its association with salps. It has been recorded as an associate of the salps Salpa fusiformis, Thalia democratica, Ihlea punctata ( Laval 1963); Salpa maxima , S. cylindrica ( Madin & Harbison 1977) and Pegea confoederata var. bicaudata ( Laval 1980) .

Distribution

This is a relatively common species, widely distributed in the tropical and temperate regions of the world’s oceans. It is recorded here from Australian waters for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Vibilia propinqua, Tasman Sea, SAMA C4439 (m), C4440 (f). A, male, 7.7 mm, lateral view; B, female, 8.5 mm, lateral view of head; appendages from male except Us­f. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (A, B), 0.5 mm (Us), 0.2 mm (remainder).

FIGURE 17. Vibilia propinqua, Tasman Sea, SAMA C4439. Male, 7.7 mm. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.