Mallacoota bulowara, Hughes, 2011

HUGHES, L. E., 2011, New species of Hoho, Mallacoota and Parelasmopus (Maeridae: Amphipoda) from Australian waters, Zootaxa 2955 (1), pp. 1-79 : 38-42

Mallacoota bulowara sp. nov.

(Figs 23–25)

Type material. Holotype: male, 7.9 mm, dissected, 3 slides, AM P.85207 . Paratypes: 1 female, 7.7 mm, dissected, 1 slide, AM P.85208; juvenile male, 5.5 mm, dissected, 1 slide, AM P.85209; 2 males, 7 females, 3 juvenile males, AM P.77463, north-west side of Brush Island, north of Batemans Bay , New South Wales (35°31'39"S 150°24'58"E), 16 m, on brown alga Zonaria diesingiana , 9 February 2003, coll. P.B. Berents, J. Eu, A.J. Millar & G.D.F. Wilson ( NSW 2033 ) .

Additional material examined. New South Wales. 1 male, 10.4 mm, dissected, 3 slides, AM P.85210, northeast side of Cabbage Tree Island, north-east of Port Stephens (32°41'06"S 152°13'36"E), 16.5 m, red algae on rock, 8 March 2006, coll. K.B. Attwood ( NSW 2876 ) ; 2 males, AM P.77472, north-east side of Cabbage Tree Island, north-east of Port Stephens (32°41'06"S 152°13'36"E), 16.3 m, epbionts from boulder including small pieces of sponge, 8 March 2006, coll. C. Fraser ( NSW 2878 ) ; 1 male, dissected, 9.5 mm, 1 slide, AM P.85211, north-west side of Tollgate Islands, Batemans Bay (35°44'46"S 150°15'25"E), 12 m, macroalga Asparagopsis taxiformis , 29 October 2002, coll. G.D.F. Wilson and N. Yee ( NSW 2012 ) ; 2 immature males, 3 females, AM P.77460, north-west side of Tollgate Islands, Batemans Bay (35°44'46"S 150°15'25"E), 12 m, macroalga Asparagopsis taxiformis , 29 October 2002, coll. G.D.F. Wilson and N. Yee ( NSW 2012 ) ; 6 juvenile males, 8 females, 3 indet. juveniles, AM P.77462, west side of North Tollgate Island (35°44'50"S 150°15'29"E), 11 m, on red coralline alga Corallina berteri , 8 February 2003, coll. P.B. Berents, J. Eu, A.J. Millar and G.D.F. Wilson ( NSW 2019 ) ; 1 juvenile male, 3 females, AM P.77465, west side of Wasp Island, north of Batemans Bay (35°40'02"S 150°18'29"E), 16 m, low profile reefs, rocks and sand, on alga Lomentaria catenata , by hand on scuba, 10 February 2003, coll. P.B. Berents, J. Eu, A.J. Millar and G.D.F. Wilson ( NSW 2046 ) ; 3 males, AM P.85212, 20– 35 km north-east of Green Cape (37°00' S 150°08'E), 84 m, June 1924, coll. A.A. Livingstone and H.O. Fletcher, ST Goonambee.

South Australia. 2 males, SAMA C6582 , approx. 3 km west north-west of Margrett Brock Reef Lighthouse, Off Cape Jaffa (36°57’9”S 139°39’51”E), 4–6 feet, reef, ridges, crvices, overhangs and a few sand pockets, 17 February 1989, coll. W. Zeidler and K.L. Gowlett-Holmes.

Type locality. North-west side of Brush Island, north of Batemans Bay , New South Wales (35°31'39"S 150°24'58"E) .

Etymology. ‘ Bulowara’ meaning two and also palm of the hand in the Worimi indigenous language of the Illawarra region, New South Wales. The word bulowara is applied here in reference to the two teeth on the male gnathopod two propodus palm.

Description. Based on holotype, male, 7.9 mm, AM P.85207.

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 longer than broad proximally, broader than long distally, with 20+articles; accessory flagellum minute, with 4 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal in length to article 5; flagellum with 9 articles. Maxilla 1 inner plate subtriangular, with 2 apical plumose setae. Lower lip outer lobes with two pair of ducts, mandibular lobes api- 2 subequal to article 3, without setae; article 3 rectolinear, long (5 times as long as broad), subequal to article 1, with 2 apical setae.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterior margin straight, anteroventral corner produced, rounded; carpus about twice as long as broad, shorter than propodus; propodus medial surface with comb, palm acute, straight, entire,

between merus and propodus; propodus massive, with slender medial setal bunch, palm straight, smooth, about half length of propodus, subrectangular distomedial shelf, with 7 robust setae on shelf, palmar margin with 2 subacute teeth, without robust setae, defined by posteroventral tooth, without posterodistal robust setae, subpalmar surface smooth; dactylus with posteroproximal shelf, apically subacute, closing along palm. Pereopod 4 coxa posteroventral lobe well developed, with subrectangular posteromedial corner. Pereopods 5–7 basis slightly expanded, posterior margin minutely castelloserrate, without long slender setae; merus and carpus not broadened; carpus and propodus with long, slender setae along posterior margin; propodus not expanded posterodistally; dactylar ungues simple. Pereopods 5–6 basis posterior margin straight, posteroventral corner subquadrate. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin convex, posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Pereonite 7 without carina.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute tooth. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner produced acute. Epimeron 3 ventral margin smooth, posteroventral margin smooth, posteroventral corner produced acute. 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, with long and short apical robust setae; inner ramus long (length 1.8 times breadth), shorter than outer ramus; outer ramus longer than peduncle. Telson deeply cleft, as long as broad, tapering distally, with short inner and long outer apical cusps, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta, each lobe with 3 long and 1 short apical robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters), based on AM P.85208. Gnathopod 2 carpus short, not lobate, enclosed by merus and propodus; propodus linear, with slender setae along posterior margin, palm about one third length of propodus, without distomedial shelf, palmar without teeth, margin lined with a row of robust setae, defined by posteroventral corner, with 3 posterodistal robust setae; dactylus without posteroproximal shelf.

Remarks. Mallacoota bulowara sp. nov. is similar to six other species of Mallacoota also recorded from south-eatern Australia, M. euroka ; M. kameruka ; M. malua ; M. penelope sp. nov.; M. subcarinata ; and M. worimi sp. nov.; these species have the male gnathopod 2 propodus with dense medial setal bunch and acute palm margin with several teeth. The gnathopod 2 propodus has 2 subacute teeth along the palm in M. bulowara sp. nov., M. kameruka and M. penelope sp. nov. separating them from other species.

The combination of the gnathopod 2 propodus palm distomedial shelf subrectangular and pereopods 5–6 basis posterior margin convex with rounded posterodistal corner, separates M. bulowara sp. nov. from the two closely related species M. kameruka and M. penelope sp. nov. In M. bulowara sp. nov. and M. kameruka the pereopods 5–

6 are similar with the basis convex, posterodistal corner broadly rounded, however the gnathopod 2 distomedial shelf is subrectangular in M. bulowara sp. nov. and rounded in M. kameruka . Mallacoota penelope sp. nov. has the gnathopod 2 propodus palm distomedial shelf subrectangular however the margins of the basis of pereopods 5–7 are straight with subquadrate posterodistal corners.

Hyperadult male specimens of M. bulowara sp. nov. at 10.4 mm, have the falcate gnathopod 2 dactylus and retain a subrectangular distomedial shelf rather than the rounded shelf seen in M. kameruka . These characteristics support M. bulowara sp. nov. as a distinct species rather than a juvenile stage.

Distribution. New South Wales: Port Stephens; Batemans Bay; Green Cape (current study). South Australia: Cape Jaffa (current study).