Stenothoids living with or on other animals (Crustacea, Amphipoda)
Author
Krapp-Schickel, Traudl
Author
Vader, Wim
text
Zoosystematics and Evolution
2015
91
2
215
246
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5715
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.91.5715
1860-0743-2-215
89B46F52BA3641A99D7FB635CAF052C1
Taxon classification Animalia Amphipoda Stenothoidae
Metopa rubrovittata Sars, 1883
Figures 8, 9, 10B, C
Metopa
rubrovittata
Sars 1883
: 90, t. 4, fig. 2, 2a;
1892
: 255, pl. 89, fig. 2;
Reibisch 1905
: 31;
Chevreux and Fage 1925
: 127, fig., 125;
Stephensen 1929
: 5;
Stephensen 1931
: 189;
Stephensen 1938
: 175;
Schellenberg 1942
: 120, fig. 98;
Gurjanova 1951
: 432, fig. 276;
Oldevig 1959
: 44.
Type locality.
Christiansund (W Norway) and
Vadso
(Finnmark)
Material examined.
-7 spec. in alcohol, 2 on slide: Surtsey (Vestmannaeyjar) off Iceland,
63.30 N
, -
20.60 W
. NA 30 m 18/8/1971 leg. Sigurdsson, det. J. Just.
ZMUC-CRU-
4464.
-1 spec. 20/8/1971 same locality as above,
ZMUC-CRU-
4465.
- 4 spec. North Sea without date, 4 spec.,
57.266667 N
5.5 E
.
ZMUC-CRU-
4467.
Discussion.
It seemed strange that the sharp eye of Chevreux would have overlooked the synonymy between
Metopa rubrovittata
(cited by him in the same work
Chevreux and Fage 1925
: 127, fig. 125) and his newly erected
Stenothoides latipes
(loc. cit.: 129, fig. 127, 128), later transferred to
Stenula
and finally synonymized as
Stenula rubrovittata
(Sars, 1883) by
Lincoln 1979
. But until now really nobody had looked at the mouthparts of
Metopa rubrovittata
, an often cited species, which nevertheless is rarely found in Museum collections.
In fact, the studied material shows a classical mandible palp of
Metopa
species with 3 articles, though it has to be admitted that it was quite a difficult task to see always the articulations. But nevertheless, already the length of the mandible palp is very different in the material from the Channel (cf. Fig. 8 with Fig. 10B, C), thus it can be confirmed that Chevreux was right: both
Metopa rubrovittata
Sars, 1883 as well as
Stenula latipes
(Chevreux & Fage, 1925) do exist, and they show extremely similar body morphology, colour pattern and even ecological niche, only the mouthparts are somewhat different. Thus,
Metopa rubrovittata
Sars, 1892 is herewith revalidated and
Stenothoides latipes
(Chevreux & Fage, 1925) remains the type species of
Stenula
. It is not clear what the geographical distribution of the two species is, as all the numerous citations cannot be judged without examining their mandible.
For control Jean-Claude Sorbe sent us material from the Bay of Biscay, and the single specimen he had collected affirms this decision.
Figure 8.
Metopa rubrovittata
Sars, 1883 male 3 mm; Md mandible; Mxp maxilliped; A 1, 2 antenna 1, 2; Gn 1, 2 gnathopod 1, 2; Gn 1', Gn 2' gnathopod 1, 2 distally enlarged.
Figure 9.
Metopa rubrovittata
Sars, 1883 male 3 mm; P 3, 4, 7 peraeopod 3, 4, 7; U 1-3 uropod 1-3; T telson.
Figure 10.
Stenula latipes
Chevreux & Fage, 1925: Md A mandible A;
Metopa rubrovittata
Sars, 1892: Md B, C mandible B, C.