The Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean
Author
Guerra-García, José M.
text
Zootaxa
2003
232
1
24
journal article
51316
10.5281/zenodo.156998
405a765d-649f-4f80-8b1e-371bda5773b0
11755326
156998
Orthoprotella australis
(
Haswell, 1880
)
(
Fig. 10
)
Protella australis
Haswell, 1880
: 276
, pl. 12, fig. 4;
Mayer, 1890
: 23
.
Orthoprotella australis
Mayer, 1903
: 35
–36, pl. 1, figs. 23–24, pl. 6, figs. 45, 47–49, pl. 9, figs. 14, 37, 57.
Material examined
.
WR
:
6 males
,
8 females
,
18 juveniles
, clinging on hydroids,
35 m
,
27 July 2002
.
Remarks
. This species of
Orthoprotella
can be easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by the presence of two acute projections on the head. The species is being redescribed from specimens collected in New South
Wales
(Takeuchi, personal communication). Studying
Mauritius
this species has been found at depths of more than 20 meters in association with hydroids. In a study of the Caprellidea from the Great Barrier Reef, GuerraGarcía (personal observations) found many specimens of
O. australis
living on hydroids (mainly
Macrorhynchia philippina
Kirchenpauer, 1872
and
Salacia
sp.) and the tunicate
Polycarpa
sp. In the Northern Territory,
Australia
,
O. australis
was also found living on algae and sediments (GuerraGarcía, personal observations).