A new genus and two new species of Saurodocus (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae) from Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia
Author
Yerman, Michelle N.
Author
Krapp-Schickel, Traudl
text
Zootaxa
2008
1820
60
66
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.183004
d7698c2a-fe3d-4ab3-8cdc-de58350741b1
1175-5326
183004
Saurodocus hobbit
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 3
)
Type
material.
Holotype
: AM P77695, female,
2.2 mm
ovigerous with one large egg, on slide, Mermaid Cove, Lizard Island,
14°38.90' S
,
145°27.26’E
, swash/subtidal, protected beach with patch reefs offshore, coarse coral sand with pieces of coral, 0.5–1.0 m, S.E. LeCroy,
2 July 2001
, stn SEL/LZI-1-1.
Paratype
: AM P77696, 1 incomplete female, approximately
1.8 mm
,
type
locality.
Etymology.
Named after the fictional small people of "halflings" in the fantasy novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the traditions of a fairy tale; used as a noun in apposition.
Description of
holotype
. Head
with anteroventral corner rounded; without notch or slit; eyes ovate to reniform.
Antenna 1
without robust setae along posterior margin, peduncle strong, flagellum lost, therefore accessory flagellum unknown.
Antenna 2
peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 3 globular, article 4 subequal to or longer than article 5.
Mandible palp
inner margin of article 1 without tooth-shaped prolongation; article 2 longer than article 3, article 3 longer than article 1, slim (subovoid with straight posterior margin), with 3 pectinate setae laterally, 3 smooth setae distally.
Maxilla 1
inner plate subtriangular, as wide as high, with 6 setae on inner margin.
Maxilla 2
with oblique setal row.
Pereon
Gnathopod 1
coxa anteroventral corner not produced; carpus 0.9 x length of propodus, propodus shorter than coxa, hind margin rounded, palm acute, defined by posterodistal corner.
Gnathopod 2
dactylus inner margin with 2 incisions, propodus similar to gnathopod 1, but narrower, on anterior and posterior margin beset with setae; carpus triangular, shorter than propodus.
Pereopods 3–7
dactyli without anterodistal spine.
Pereopods 5–7
slender, with few short setae, basis posterior margin smooth.
Pleon
Pleonites 1–3
dorsally smooth.
Epimeron 1
posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate.
Epimeron 2
posteroventral corner smooth with acute posterodistal spine.
Epimeron 3
posteroventral margin smooth.
Urosomite 1
without spines or gape.
Urosomite 2
posterior margin smooth.
Urosomite 3
without dorsal setae.
Uropod 1
peduncle longer than rami.
Uropod 2
peduncle subequal to rami.
Uropod 3
rami
7 x
longer than broad, lanceolate, distally acute, about double the length of the peduncle.
Telson
quadrangular, deeply cleft; longer than broad with 2 or 3 short, subapical robust setae on each lobe, no lateral setation found.
Habitat.
Marine; living in coarse coral sand with pieces of coral at
0.5–1 m
; probably interstitial.
Distribution.
Australia
. Queensland: Lizard Island.
Remarks.
The tiny
holotype
was carrying one large egg, and was undoubtedly adult.