Bougisia Laval, 1966

Zeidler, Wolfgang, 2004, A review of the families and genera of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Phronimoidea Bowman & Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea), Zootaxa 567, pp. 1-66 : 46-47

Genus Bougisia Laval, 1966

Bougisia Laval, 1966: 217 .

Type species

Bougisia ornata Laval, 1966 by monotypy. Type material in MOM and collections of the Zoological Station , Villefranche­sur­Mer, France: in spirit.

Diagnosis

The characters of the family are also those of the genus.

Monotypic.

Sexual dimorphism

The sexes are very similar, but as with other Phronimoidea , males are distinguished by the filiform, multi­articulate antennae. Females have a slightly broader pereon, uropod 2 is relatively shorter than in males, and the telson is longer, about two­thirds the length of the peduncle of uropod 3, whereas in males the telson is slightly shorter than half of the peduncle of uropod 3.

Remarks

Bougisia is a very distinctive genus. It seems to be extremely rare and has been recorded only three times in the literature (Larval 1966; Vicencio­Aguilar & Fernández­ Alamo 1995; Zeidler 1998).

The morphology of the mouthparts, and the male antennae, are most similar to members of the family Hyperiidae .

The small eyes are a unique character amongst the Phronimoidea and indicate that this may be a deep­water form, occasionally caught near the surface as a result of upwelling.