Hoho lowryi, Hughes, 2011

HUGHES, L. E., 2011, New species of Hoho, Mallacoota and Parelasmopus (Maeridae: Amphipoda) from Australian waters, Zootaxa 2955 (1), pp. 1-79 : 17-20

Hoho lowryi sp. nov.

(Figs 10, 11)

Type material. Holotype: male, 6.0 mm, dissected, 4 slides, AM P.85193 . Paratypes: 1 female, 6.0 mm, dissected, 1 slide, AM P.85194; 25 specimens, AM P.70347, south-west side of Grasshopper Island, Batemans Bay , New South Wales (35°38”1’S 150°19”51’E), 11–13 m, from brown macroalga Halopteris platycena , coll. P.B. Berents, J. Eu, A.J. Millar & G.D.F. Wilson, 10 February 2003 ( NSW 2041 ) .

Additional material examined. New South Wales. 30+ specimens, AM P.70346, south of Broulee Island (35°50”49’S 150°11”5’E), 8 m, from brown macroalga Halopteris platycena , by hand on scuba, 25 October 2002, coll. A. Millar and N. Yee ( NSW 1990 ) .

Tasmania. 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, AM P.83576, Joes Bight, Freycinet Peninsula (42°16'42"S 148°18'42"E), 17 m, brown algae, 1 May 1991, coll. S. Keable and R. T. Springthorpe (Tas 334); 10+ specimens, AM P.83578, Joes Bight, Freycinet Peninsula (42°16'42"S 148°18'42"E), 17 m, red algae, 1 May 1991, coll. S. Keable and R. T. Springthorpe (Tas 349); 20+ specimens, AM P.83575, Joes Bight, Freycinet Peninsula (42°16'42"S 148°18'42"E), 17 m, filamentous brown algae, 1 May 1991, coll. S. Keable and R. T. Springthorpe (Tas 348); 2 males, 3 females, AM P.83577, north of St Helens Point , Elephant Rock (41°17'30"S 148°20'E), 20 m, bryozoans cf Vittaticella sp. , 14 April 1991, coll. R. T. Springthorpe and C. McCormick (Tas 130); 1 male, 3 females, C6579, off O'Hara bluff , Tasman Penninsula (43º5’17”S 147º51’42”E), 15–20 m, in soft bryozoan, on rock wall, 31 July 1991, coll. K.L. Gowlett-Holmes and G. Myors; 1 male, 2 females, C6482, off O'Hara bluff , Tasman Penninsula (43º5’17”S 147º51’42”E), 15–20 m, from algae, 31 July 1991, coll. K.L. Gowlett-Holmes and G. Myors; 7 specimens, SAMA C6479 , northern side of Lagoon Bay, Forestier Penninsula (42º52’12”S 147º55’48”E), 4–9 m, on bryozoans, 29 July 1991, K.L. Gowlett-Holmes and G. Myors; 10+ specimens, SAMA C6481 , northern side of Lagoon Bay , Forestier Penninsula (42º52’12”S 147º55’48”E), 4–9 m, on bryozoans in crevices, 29 July 1991, K.L. Gowlett-Holmes and G. Myors .

South Australia. 5 males, 3 females, SAMA C6572 , Victor Harbour, Fleurieu Penninsula (35°30’35”S 138°12’54”E), 6 m, mixed fucoid, February 2002, coll. A. Hirst ( SARDI Enc 2002 Expedition) ; 2 males, 7 females, SAMA C6473 , West Island, Nuyts Archipelago (32º30’0”S 133º15’0”E), depth unknown, 18 January 1977, coll. W. Zeidler.

Western Australia. 2 males, 2 females, 1 juvenile, AM P.79334, Red Bluff, Kalbarri (27º42'S 114 º09'E), 1 m, rocky shore, stalked ascidians on rock ledge, 9 January 1984, coll. H.E. Stoddart (WA 445); 20+ specimens, AM P. 79341, 500 m off Chinaman's Rock, Kalbarri (27º42'S 114º09'E), 6 m, rocky bottom, brown alga with epiphytic coralline, 10 January 1984, coll. J.K. Lowry (WA 462) ; 3 males, AM P.79321, off Green Island, Rottnest Island (32º01'S 115º30'E), 12 m, brown algae, 21 December 1983, coll. J.K. Lowry (WA 234) ; 1 males, MV J62187 , north-eastern end of Vancouver Peninsula (35º03”24’S 117º56”12’E), 3 m, 8 April 1984 ( SWA 22 ); 1 male, 6 114º53”00’E), 9 m, 27 April 1986 ( SWA 98 ) ; 3 males, AM P.79854, Off south-east corner of Michaelmas Island, King George Sound (35°03'S 118°E), 18 m, curly red bryozoan, 17 December 1983, coll. J.K. Lowry (WA 197) ; 3 males, 4 females, AM P.79417, Vancouver Peninsular, near Mistaken Island, King George Sound (35°04'S 117°56'E), 6 m, seagrass, 13 December 1983, coll. R. T . Springthorpe (WA 121) .

Type locality. South-west side of Grasshopper Island, Batemans Bay , New South Wales (35°38”1’S 150°19”

Description. Based on male, 6.0 mm, AM P.85193.

Head. Eyes ovate; lateral cephalic lobe broad, truncated, anteroventral margin with notch/slit. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; article 2 longer than article 3; flagellum articles as long as broad, with 23+ articles; accessory flagellum minute, with 3 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal in length to article 5; flagellum with 8 articles. Lower lip outer lobes ducts with two pair of ducts, mandibular lobes apically rounded. Mandible accessory setal row well developed with 4 setae; molar well developed, triturative; mandibular palp reduced, 1-articulate; article 1 about 3 times as long as broad.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterior margin concave, anteroventral corner produced, rounded; carpus as long as broad, subequal in length to propodus; propodus medial surface with comb, palm acute, straight, entire, defined by posterodistal corner, without robust setae. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; basis slender, anterodistal corner subquadrate; merus with rounded distoventral corner; carpus compressed, lobate, projecting between merus and propodus; propodus massive, with slender medial setal bunch, palm acute, convex, smooth, subquadrate distomedial shelf, with 6 robust setae on shelf, palmar margin without teeth, without posterodistal robust setae, subpalmar surface smooth; dactylus with posteroproximal shelf, apically subacute, closing along palm. Pereopod 4 coxa posteroventral lobe well developed, with rounded posteromedial corner. Pereopods 5–7 basis slightly expanded, posterior margin straight, weakly serrate, without long slender setae, posteroventral corner broadly rounded; merus and carpus not broadened; carpus and propodus without long, slender setae along posterior margin; propodus not expanded posterodistally; dactylar ungues simple. Pereonite 7 without carina.

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without carina. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute tooth. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner subquadrate, ventral margin smooth, posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 bicarinate, subtriangular. Urosomites 2–3 without carina. Uropod 1 peduncle with 1 basofacial seta; outer ramus slightly shorter than inner ramus. Uropod 2 outer ramus slightly shorter than inner ramus. Uropod 3 rami distally truncated, apical robust setae short; inner ramus long (length 1.8 times breadth), subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus longer than peduncle. Telson moderately cleft, as long as broad, tapering distally, apical margins concave, with short inner and long outer apical cusps, apical conical extension reaching at least halfway along longest seta, each lobe with 3–4 short apical robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters), based on AM P.85194. Gnathopod 2 merus without distoventral corner; carpus short, not lobate, enclosed by merus and propodus; propodus linear, palm straight, about one third length of propodus, without distomedial shelf, defined by posteroventral corner with 2 robust setae; dactylus without posteroproximal shelf.

Remarks. Hoho lowryi sp. nov. has a massive subovoid male gnathopod 2 propodus with dense medial setal bunch and smooth palm margin, similar to H. cornishi , H. kalbarri sp. nov. and H. hirtipalma . Hoho lowryi sp. nov. and H. hirtipalma differ from these species in the gnathopod 2 propodus palm distal shelf which has a large cleft.

Hoho lowryi sp. nov. is most similar to H. hirtipalma with pereopods 5 to 7 having a distally broad merus, carpus and propodus lined by uniform length short setae, giving the pereopods a distinct stocky appearance. In other species of Hoho the merus is broader than the carpus and increasingly broader in comparison to the propodus.

The subtle differences which separate H. lowryi sp. nov. from H. hirtipalma include: larger and more robust setae on the male gnathopod 2 propodus distal shelf; pereopods 5 to 7 posterior margin weakly serrate and shorter apical robust setae on the telson. Hoho lowryi sp. nov. is small in size, adult males are around 6.0 mm, which is much less than the 17.5 mm holotype of H. hirtipalma . The presence of gravid females and males with a falcate dactylus on gnathopod 2 at this small size support the hypothesis of H. lowryi sp. nov. as a distinct taxon.

Distribution. Australia. New South Wales: Batemans Bay. South Australia: Cape Jaffa; Port Giles; Fleurieu Peninsula. Western Australia: Vancouver Peninsula; Dongara; Rottnest Island; Kalbarri (current study).