Belkginoecetes cooee, Just, Jean, 2012

Just, Jean, 2012, Siphonoecetini Just, 1983 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Ischyroceridae) 10: Belkginoecetes gen. nov., Tropicoecetes gen. nov. and Rhinoecetes Just, 1983 from north-eastern and northern Australian shallow water, with eight new species, Zootaxa 3528, pp. 1-28 : 4-6

Belkginoecetes cooee sp. nov.

Figures 2–3

Type fixation. Holotype, male, here designated.

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality Cooee Bay.

Material examined. Holotype, 3, 4.3 mm, Cooee Bay, Yeppoon, east of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 23° 08’, S 150° 46’E. 4m (MW), fine brown-grey slightly rippled sand with large content of fine shell fragments, some detritus and mud, hand dredge. J. Just & R.T. Springthorpe, 3 July 1984, stn AU32, QM W29151.

Paratypes. Same data as holotype, QM W29152 (5 adult Ƥ, 2 3, 4 young and juvenile, 20 abodes, several occupied). Cooee Bay, Yeppoon, east of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 23°08’S, 150°46’E, 3m (MW), fine mud, hand dredge. J. Just & R.T. Springthorpe, 3 July 1984, Stn AU33, QM W29153 (4 ovigerous Ƥ, 3 young, 12 abodes, 5 occupied). Cooee Bay, Yeppoon, east of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 23° 08’S, 150° 46’E, 2m (MW), fine hard rippled sand without detritus, hand dredge. J. Just & R.T. Springthorpe, 3 July 1984, stn AU34, QM W29154 (single specimen in abode). Cooee Bay, Yeppoon, east of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 23°08’S, 150°46’E, 3m (MW), fine mud, hand dredge. J. Just & R.T. Springthorpe, 3 July 1984, Stn AU33, ZMUC-CRUS-20520 (4 ovigerous Ƥ, 5 occupied abodes).

Description (holotype, 3). Head as long as pereonites 1 and 1/3 of 2 combined along dorsal midline. Rostrum straight in lateral view, acutely pointed; in dorsal view reaching beyond apices of eye lobes with entire length. Eye lobes in lateral view tapering towards tiny apical ‘beak’, with 1 dorsal and 4 ventral simple setae; rectangular in dorsal view.

Antenna 1 as long as head and pereonites 1–4 and half of 5 combined, flagellum of 6+ articles, approximately as long as peduncle articles 2 and 3 combined. Antenna 2 [the greater part of the second antenna 2, Fig. 2 a2, was the largest of such loose appendages in the sample; it clearly belongs to a male, and is possibly from the holotype which is the largest male in the sample, but one cannot be certain; because all specimens in the sample belong to the same species this antenna is used for description without being considered part of the holotype] peduncle article 4 and 5 with bunches of long setae ventrally, especially dense on article 5; article 5 length 0.9 of 4; ventral projection of peduncle article 2 (partly observed only) longer than wide, triangular, with blunt apex, with fringe of long setae laterally and apically; flagellum articles 1 and 2 with long, slender, straight robust setae on medial and lateral margins.

Gnathopod 1 propodus length 3.0 width, with 3 midposterior robust setae. Gnathopod 2 propodus length 2.0 greatest width. Pereopods 3–4 basis with row of long setae on anterior margin, 2 long setae on lateral surface, tuft of long setae of varying length on midposterior margin; merus with 2 midanterior groups of setae, with scattered setae along posterior margin. Pereopods 5–6 basis with 2 groups of long setae on anterior margin, posterior margins with scattered short setae.

Uropod 1 peduncle with dorsolateral row of 4–5 simple setae; outer ramus 4.3 times longer than wide, approximately 0.6 length of peduncle, lateral margin with 4 robust setae; inner ramus 0.8 length of outer ramus, slightly tapering towards apex. Uropod 3 distolaterally with 5 long simple setae on low bulge, mediodistally with 3 short simple setae. Telson width 1.3 length, apex convex.

Female. Eyelobes as in male; uropod 1 peduncle with 1–2 simple setae, outer ramus lateral margin with 3 robust setae.

Size. Largest 3, 4.3 mm, largest Ƥ, ovigerous, 4.1 mm.

Colour and biology. Generally colourless semitransparent. Entrails shining through in ochre-yellow. Some specimens with faint white pigment bar between eyes dorsally. Specimens occupy microprosobranch shells ( Fig. 2 ab), with a single case of a scaphopod shell. Aggregates of 2 abodes (1 3, 1 Ƥ) present.

Distribution. Cooee Bay, Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia, 2– 4 m.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Belkginoecetes cooee gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3, except ab, paratype in abode, and a 2 and a 2 flag, possibly but not verifiably antenna 2 of holotype with enlargement of flagellum. c dv and c lv, head dorsal and lateral views; el, eyelobe dorsal view; vp, ventral projection of article 2 of antenna 2. Habitus and a 2 scale: 1 mm; abode scale: 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Belkginoecetes cooee gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, 3. gp 1 and gp 2, gnathopods 1 and 2; p 4 and p 6, pereopods 4 and