Dulichiella pacifica Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

Lowry, J. K. & Springthorpe, R. T., 2009, Melitidae, the Melita group *, Zootaxa 2260 (1), pp. 718-735 : 720-723

Dulichiella pacifica Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

( Figs 2 , 3 )

Dulichiella appendiculata . –– Berents, 1983: 111, fig. 9. –– Ledoyer, 1984: 64. –– Ledoyer, 1986: 187, fig. 9 N Cal. Dulichiella pacifica . –– Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005: 292, figs 54–57. –– Lowry & Springthorpe, 2007: 40, figs 30–32.

Material examined. 1 specimen, AM P30123 (75 LIZ D-1) ; 6 specimens, AM P30124 ( QLD 2 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P77738 ( QLD 21 ) ; 5 specimens, AM P30125 ( QLD 27 ) ; 2 specimens, AM P30126 ( QLD 28 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P77739 ( QLD 57 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P70836 ( QLD 1661 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P70920 ( QLD 1682 ) ; 2 specimens, AM P70921 ( QLD 1686 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P70916 ( QLD 1691 ) ; 6 specimens, AM P70946 ( QLD 1696 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P71005 ( QLD 1707 ) ; 2 specimens, AM P71950 ( QLD 1707 ) ; 1 female, 6.1 mm, AM P75510 ( QLD 1707 ) ; 8 specimens, AM P71105 ( QLD 1710 ) ; 3 specimens, AM P71051 ( QLD 1718 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P71129 ( QLD 1750 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P71214 ( QLD 1760 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P71224 ( QLD 1760 ) ; 7 specimens, AM P71231 ( QLD 1760 ) ; 2 specimens, AM P71364 ( QLD 1800 ) ; 1 male, 5.2 mm, AM P75509 ( QLD 1800 ) ; 5 specimens, AM P71355 ( QLD 1803 ) ; 4 specimens, AM P71543 ( QLD 1823 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P71600 ( QLD 1838 ) ; 3 specimens, AM P75618 ( QLD 1940 ) ; 3 specimens, AM P75705 ( QLD 1940 ) ; 1 specimen, AM P75619 ( QLD 1970 ) ; 2 specimens, AM P75704 ( QLD 1970 ) ; male, 3.9 mm, AM P77740 ( QLD 1970 ) .

Type locality. Coral rubble between Tandai Point and Koilo Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands (9°22.5'S 159°52.2'E) .

Description. Based on male, 5.2 mm, AM P75509 and male, 3.9 mm, AM P77740..

Head and body. Body small. Head eyes round; lateral cephalic lobe broad, truncated, anteroventral corner with slender seta. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2, with 3 robust setae along posterior margin. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5. Mandible palp article 1 about as long as broad, inner margin produced distally; article 2 subequal to article 3.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight, posteroventral corner notch present; carpus subequal in length to propodus; propodus small, linear, palm convex, without posterodistal corner, with posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 asymmetrical (larger) chelate, coxa posteroventral corner notch present; propodus distolateral crown with 4 rounded or subacute spines, fourth spine well developed, palm straight, posterodistal corner produced, upturned, dactylus fitting into corner; dactylus apically blunt; (smaller) subchelate, merus with sharp posteroventral spine; palm convex, without robust setae, posterodistal corner with robust setae; dactylus with 1 or 2 setae on anterior margin. Pereopod 5 dactylar unguis anterior margin with accessory spine. Pereopods 6-7 carpus and propodus with bunches of long slender setae. Pereopod 6 basis posterior margin slightly concave; dactylar unguis anterior margin with one accessory spine. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin straight.

Pleon. Pleonite/urosomite dorsal spine formula (7-7-7-5-4/6-2). Pleonites 1–3 with sparse dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute spine. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 with 5 dorsal spines. Urosomite 2 with two groups of 1–3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae, with 2 dorsal spines. Uropod 3 outer ramus very long, about 2 x peduncle. Telson with dorsal robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on female, 6.1 mm, AM P75510. Gnathopod 2 symmetrical, subchelate, subequal in size, similar to smaller gnathopod 2 of male; palm concave; dactylus posterior margin smooth, with 5 setae on anterior margin. Pereopod 7 basis expanded, posterior margin convex and tapering distally.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic, living among coral rubble, sponges, sand and low algal turf in 10 to 20 m depth.

Remarks. Dulichiella pacifica has four spines on the distolateral crown of male gnathopod 2 and a 7-7-7- 5-4/6-2 pleonite/urosomite formula. Four other species share these characters: D. appendiculata ; D. fresnelii ; D. lecroyae ; and D. cuvettensis .

Dulichiella pacifica is most similar to D. cuvettensis and D. fresnelii . It differs from D. cuvettensis in having one accessory spine on the dactyli of pereopods 5 to 7 (two accessory spines in D. cuvettensis ) and in having bunches of long, slender setae on the carpus and propodus of male pereopods 6 and 7 which are absent in D. cuvettensis . Dulichiella pacifica differs from D. fresnelii in the posterior margin of the basis of pereopod 6 which is concave in D. pacifica and straight in D. fresnelii and in the posterior margin of the basis of pereopod 7 which is straight in D. pacifica and tapering distally in D. fresnelii .

Dulichiella pacifica is a common shallow-water species in Singapore, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and north-eastern Australia. Dulichiella has not been reported from Micronesia (J.L. Barnard 1965) or Fiji ( Myers 1985). On the Great Barrier Reef D. pacifica occurs from Yonge Reef in the north to One Tree Island near the southern end.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Yonge Reef; Lizard Island; One Tree Island (current study, Lowry & Springthorpe 2005). Singapore ( Lowry & Springthorpe 2005). Papua New Guinea. Madang Lagoon ( Lowry & Springthorpe 2005). Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal ( Lowry & Springthorpe 2005). New Caledonia: Poé Plage, West Lagoon; Thio, East Lagoon; Southwest Lagoon ( Lowry & Springthorpe 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dulichiella pacifica Lowry & Springthorpe, 2007, habitus, male, 3.9 mm, AM P77740, Third Lagoon, One Tree Island, male, 5.0 mm, AM P75509, Yonge Reef, Great Barrier Reef.

FIGURE 3. Dulichiella pacifica Lowry & Springthorpe, 2007, male, 5.0 mm, AM P75509, female, 6.1 mm, AM P75510, Yonge Reef, Great Barrier Reef.