Apseudes quasimodo, Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2012

Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, M. & Bamber, R. N., 2012, The Shallow-water Tanaidacea (Arthropoda: Malacostraca: Peracarida) of the Bass Strait, Victoria, Australia (other than the Tanaidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 69, pp. 1-235 : 4-9

Apseudes quasimodo sp. nov.

Figures 3–5

Material examined. 1 with oostegites (Registration no, J58462), holotype, Eastern Bass Strait , Stn MSL-EG 95, 37º51.70' S 148º14.60'E, 37 m depth, February 1991, coarse sand, coll. N. Coleman, Smith-McIntyre grab; 2 with oostegites, 6 subadults, 1 juvenile (J28515), paratypes, same sample as Holotype. 1 with oostegites and penial tubercle, 3 juveniles (J28513), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 69, 37º51.70'S 148º14.6'E, 37 m depth, 4 June 1991, coarse sand; 2 with oostegites, 3 brooding, 23 juveniles (J28514), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 77, 37º49.89'S 148º30.13'E, 27 m depth, 4 June 1991, coarse sand; 3 subadults (J28512), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 44, 37º53.18'S 148º28.96'E, 45 m depth, 26 September 1990, sand and shell; 1 brooding, 8 subadults (J28516), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 96, 37º51.70'S 148º14.60'E, 37 m depth, February 1991, coarse sand; 6 with oostegites, 8 subadults, 7 juveniles (J28517), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 99, 37º53.39'S 148º15.40'E, 43 m depth, February 1991, coarse sand; 1 subadult (J28518), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 103, 37º49.89' S 148º30.13'E, 27 m depth, February 1991, coarse sand; 1 subadult (J28519), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 104, 37º49.89'S 148º30.13'E, 27 m depth, February 1991, coarse sand; 2 with oostegites (J28520), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 30, 37º51.77'S 148º13.63'E, 40 m depth, 25 September 1990, sand with shell; 1 with oostegites(J28521), paratypes,StnMSL-EG44,37º53.18'S 148º28.96'E, 45 m depth, 26 September 1990, sand with shell; 1 with oostegites (J28522), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG 55, 37º50.63'S 148º43.47'E, 49 m depth, 28 September 1990, sand with shell; 1 with oostegites (J51300), paratypes, Stn MSL-EG VC-41-C3, 37º32.95'S 148º03.78'E, 40 m depth, May 1998; all Eastern Bass Strait , coll. N. Coleman, Smith-McIntyre grab. 1 with oostegites (J56335), paratypes, steel wharf Stn MSL ref C27 grab nr4, 12 m depth, 5 March 1997; 1 with oostegites (J57555), paratypes, Western Bass Strait, Stn CR 89-K-5 Stn 52, 38º57'S 143º27'E, 49 m depth, 08 October 1980, coarse sand, Smith-McIntyre grab. 2 juveniles (J57644), 1 with oostegites, 1 juvenile (J57665), 1 with oostegites (J57671), paratypes, Stn CPBS 23 N, 38º20.29'S 145º14.18'E, 10 m depth, 10 March 1965, sandy gravel; 3, 2 subadults (J57668), paratypes, Stn CPBS 33 S, 38º22.06'S 145º14.10'E, 13 m depth, 5 March 1965, reef, sponge; 2 with oostegites (J57680), paratypes, CPBS 23 S/1 1973, ca 38º21'S 145º14'E, 10 m depth; all Crib Point Benthic Survey, Western Port, Smith-McIntyre grab.

Description of female/hermaphrodite. Body ( Fig. 3), dorsoventrally flattened, holotype 12.7 mm long, 5.6 times as longaswide, narrowerposteriorly.Cephalothoraxsubrectangular, as long as wide, anterior margin with conspicuous pointed rostrum with “shoulders” at base. Eyes present, eyelobes with small spine-like apophyses directed anteriorly; lateral spiniform apophyses at anterior margin of branchial chambers. Pereonites 1, 3, 5 and 6 subequal, about 0.4 times as long as cephalothorax, pereonite 2 just shorter, pereonite 4 longest, half length of cephalothorax; lateral margins of pereonites 1 and 2 uniformly convex, pereonites 3 to 6 with small anterolateral spine-like apophyses and expanded posterolaterally at attachment of coxae (all pereonites respectively 2.6, 2.8, 2.1, 1.6, 2.0 and 1.9 times as wide as long); ventral pointed, forwardly-curved hyposphenia on pereonites 2, 4 and 5, but variable - rarely also on pereonite 1, sometimes absent on pereonites 2 and 4; penial tubercle mid-ventrally on pereonite 6. Pleon just longer than last three pereonites together, with five free subequal pleonites bearing pleopods; pleonites dorsally convex, over three times as wide as long, not bearing lateral spiniform apophyses. Pleotelson less than half-length of whole pleon, twice as long as wide, with conspicuous lateral setae, and with pronounced mid-dorsal boss towards anterior margin.

Antennule ( Fig. 4A). Peduncle proximal article three times as long as wide, inner margin without rugosity, with three shorter setae in proximal half and mid-length and subdistal tufts of four and two simple setae, outer margin with three proximal penicillate setae and three pairs of simple setae as figured; second article slightly longer than wide, 0.25 times as long as article 1, with four outer distal setae, four inner distal setae and two inner proximal setae; third article about half as long as wide, 0.25 times as long as second, with single inner and outer distal setae; fourth article as long as third, with single inner distal seta. Main flagellum of 12 segments, segments 6, 8, 10 and 12 each bearing 1 aesthetasc; accessory flagellum of five segments.

Antenna ( Fig. 4B). Proximal peduncle article simple; article 2 with inner rugosity, single outer and inner setae at mid-length, and bearing elongate squama with 18 simple marginal setae; peduncle article 3 as long as wide, with one seta; article 4 0.8 times as long as article 2, with two inner setae; article 5 0.8 times as long as article 4, with three penicillate setae and four longer outer simple setae. Flagellum of 13 segments.

Labrum (not figured) rounded, distally finely setulose; sharp epistome present. Left mandible ( Fig. 4C) outer margin rugose, bearing strong, denticulate pars incisiva, robust, denticulate lacinia mobilis, setiferous lobe with two trifurcate, three bifurcate and one simple setae, pars molaris ( Fig. 4 C') robust, distally concave, with fine marginal spinules. Right mandible ( Fig. 4D) as left but without lacinia mobilis; mandibular palp of three articles, proximal article longer than wide with five inner setae, article 2 twice as long as article 1 with three longer proximal setae, two longer distal setae, and row of about 14 shorter setae in distal half; article 3 two-thirds length of article 2, densely setose along inner margin and distally. Labium ( Fig. 4G) with small mid-distal tuft of setules, palp with fine lateral setules and three simple distal setae. Maxillule ( Fig. 4E, E') inner endite with finely setose outer margin and five finely setulate distal setae; outer endite with eleven distal spines and two subdistal setae, outer and inner margins finely setose; palp of two articles, distally with six setae increasing in length towards tip of article. Maxilla ( Fig. 4F) with smooth outer margin; outer lobe of moveable endite with two finely plumose subdistal setae and six distally-denticulate distal setae; inner lobe of moveable endite with three distally-denticulate setae, four simple setae and two subdistal setulose setae; outer lobe of inner endite with three stout trifurcate distal spines, and three distal and one subdistal setulose setae; inner lobe of fixed endite with rostral row of over 40 setae guarding seven longer finely denticulate setae. Maxilliped ( Fig. 4H) basis naked; palp article 1 with two inner distal setae and five setae on slight outer-distal apophysis; palp article 2 longer than wide, with dense rows of numerous filtering setae on inner margin, outer margin with one slender distal spine and adjacent subdistal short, simple setae; palp article 3 longer than wide, with six shorter and thirteen longer simple setae in two rows along expanded inner margin; palp article 4 with twelve distal setae. Endite ( Fig. 4 H') with simple inner caudodistal seta, plumose outer subdistal seta, outer fine distal setae and inner rod-like distal spines. Epignath ( Fig. 4I) large, cup-shaped, with distallyplumose distal seta.

Cheliped ( Fig. 5A) robust. Basis 1.8 times as long as wide, dorsally naked, ventrally with two smaller and two longer proximal seta, mid-ventral spine-like apophysis and tuft of four distal setae; exopodite present, 3-articled, second article naked, elongate, distal article with nine plumose setae. Merus narrowing proximally, with three longer simple setae and paired short spines on ventrodistal “shoulder”. Carpus subtriangular, widest distally (here 0.7 times as wide as carpus length), with row of simple setae along entire free ventral margin, dorsodistal and ventrodistal shorter setae. Chela stout, propodus 1.3 times as long as wide, fixed finger; dense row of setae along majority of ventral margin; cutting edge of fixed finger with row of fine setules and proximal tooth-like apophysis; dactylus with fine setae but no apophyses on cutting edge, distal claw pointed, meeting claw of fixed finger.

Pereopod 1 ( Fig. 5B) with coxal spine-like apophysis pronounced. Basis stout, 1.9 times as long as wide, with two proximal dorsal setae, sparse small ventral setae, small ventrodistal spine and adjacent setae; exopodite present, 3-articled, article 3 with four distal plumose setae. Ischium with dense tuft of ventrodistal setae. Merus widening distally, 0.56 times as long as basis, with row of longer mesial setae, ventral marginal setae in distal half, stout ventrodistal spine, five dorsodistal simple setae but no dorsodistal spine. Carpus three-quarters as long as merus, with dorsodistal stout spine surrounded by tuft of setae, two ventral stout spines. Propodus just shorter than carpus and articulating slightly ventral of carpus midline, with three ventral stout spines, two dorsal stout spines surrounded by setae. Dactylus stout, with mid-dorsal fine seta and fine inner denticulation, unguis short, both together 0.85 times as long as propodus.

Pereopod 2 ( Fig. 5C) more slender. Coxa without apophysis. Basis 4.1 times as long as wide with longer dorsal setae in the proximal half and tufts of ventral setae. Merus 0.7 times as long as carpus, with ventrodistal slender spine. Carpus elongate, with ventrodistal slender spine. Propodus articulating subdistally on ventrodistal corner of carpus, just longer than carpus, densely setose on both margins, with mid-ventral and ventrodistal spines. Dactylus with paired mid-dorsal setae and fine ventral denticulation, unguis short, the two together 0.63 times as long as propodus. Pereopod 3 ( Fig. 5D) similar to pereopod 2, but propodus with outer mesial and subdistal dorsal spines.

Pereopod 4 ( Fig. 5E) similar to pereopod 2 but basis with plumose sensory setae, merus only half length of carpus and with two ventral spines, carpus with four ventral, two distal and one slender dorsodistal spines; propodus as long as carpus, with dorsodistal tuft of four short and two long finely denticulate setae, and adjacent spinulation; dactylus plus claw 0.6 times as long as propodus and shorter than longest dorsodistal propodal setae. Pereopod 5 ( Fig. 5F) similar to but larger than pereopod 4, carpus without dorsodistal spine, propodus with two long, lender and one short dorsodistal spines, and with ventral row of 12 short spinules bounded proximally, distally and mesially by small spines; dactylus ventrally denticulate, together with claw almost as long as propodus. Pereopod 6 ( Fig. 5G) basis with both dorsal and ventral marginal plumose setae, merus with one plumose and three simple setae all longer than article. carpus densely setose on all margins, with subdistal and ventrodistal spines, propodus with tapering row of fine spines along most of ventral margin and around distal margin; dactylus together with claw almost as long as propodus.

Pleopods ( Fig. 5H) all alike. Basis elongate, with four inner but no outer plumose setae. Endopod and exopod subequal, linguiform, each with about 30 plumose setae.

Uropod ( Fig. 5I) biramous, both rami filiform, multisegmented. Basis with five setae distally; exopod one-quarter as long as endopod, with five segments; endopod elongate, with about 22 segments.

Description of younger stages. Juveniles with slender cheliped, exopodite with only 5 setae; hyposphenia sparse, one on pereonite 6; subadults with robust cheliped similar to that of adult, fewer hyposphenia than adult, one on pereonite 6; no oostegites.

Etymology. Named after Quasimodo, a central character from French author Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel Notre Dame de Paris, who also had a distinctive dorsal hump.

Remarks. Apseudes quasimodo sp. nov. is unique amongst the Apseudidae in having a pronounced mid-dorsal boss towards the anterior margin of the pleotelson, as well as the anaxial articulation of the propodus on the anterior pereopods. In the presence of a row of small spinules on the ventral margin of the propodus of pereopod 5 (as well as of pereopod 6), it resembles only Apseudes sensu stricto and Paradoxapseudes (see below) in the Apseudidae , but in the conformation of the cheliped, the pereonites, and with spine-like apophyses at the anterior margin of branchial chambers, inter alia, shows similarities with Spinosapseudes and Tuberapseudes , as well as such taxa as Apseudes grossimanus (which also has suggestions of an anaxial articulation of the pereopod propodus) and A. tenuimanus .

Apseudes quasimodo was found in Western Port at 10–13 m depth, and in the Eastern Bass Strait off the Metung to Marlo coast (to the east of Gippsland Lakes) from 27 to 49 m depth on coarse sandy substrata.