Bellorchestia mariae Lowry 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lowry, J. K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Talitridae
Bellorchestia
Bellorchestia mariae

description: <i>Bellorchestia mariae</i> sp. nov. (Figs 1–3) <b>Type material.</b> Holotype, male, 14.6 mm, AM P.87935, Honeymoon Bay, Jervis Bay, New south Wales, Australia (35°3'48"S 150°45'24"E), supralittoral zone burrowing in sand, 30 January 2011, Maria Capa. Paratypes: female, AM P.87934, juvenile male, AM P.87933, 18 males, 13 females, AM P.85301. <b>Additional material examined</b>. 14 specimens, AM P.85880, Narrawallee Beach, New South Wales (35°18’27.7”S 150°28’21.2”E), 1305, oceanic beach under <i>Cystophora</i> in upper supralittoral zone, 30 April 2011, J.K. Lowry &amp; A. Lodge, preserved in 95% ETOH (MI NSW 3690). <b>Type locality.</b> Honeymoon Bay, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia (35°3'48"S, 150°45'24"E). <b>Habitat.</b> Under seaweed on sandy beach. <b>Etymology.</b> Named for the collector, Maria Capa. <b>Description.</b> Based on holotype male, 14.6 mm, AM P.87935. <b>Head</b>. <i>Eye</i> medium (1/5–1/3 head length). <i>Antenna 1</i> short, rarely longer than article 4 of antenna 2 peduncle. <i>Antenna 2</i> up to half body length; peduncular articles slender; article 5 longer than article 4 (article 4 short). <i>Mandible</i> left lacinia mobilis 5-dentate. <i>Maxilliped</i> palp article 2 distomedial lobe well developed, 4 reduced, button-shaped. <b>Pereon</b>. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> sexually dimorphic; parachelate; coxa smaller than coxa 2, subtriangular, deeper than broad; posterior margin of propodus with lobe covered in palmate setae; propodus subrectangular, anterior margin with 6 groups of robust setae, medial surface with 10+ cuspidate setae; palm transverse, with 5 serrate setae; dactylus longer than palm. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> sexually dimorphic; subchelate; coxa similar in size to coxa 3, about as broad as deep; basis slender; ischium and merus with distally rounded posterodistal lobe on medial surface; merus with distally rounded posterodistal lobe on medial surface; posterior margin of merus, carpus and propodus each without with lobe covered in palmate setae; carpus triangular, reduced (enclosed by merus and propodus), posterior lobe absent, not projecting between merus and propodus; propodus subovate, 1.6 × as long as wide; palm acute, reaching about 45% along posterior margin, weakly toothed, incised or sinuous, with 2 groups of robust setae, without protuberance near dactylar hinge, with small midpalmar protuberance with 9 or 10 robust setae, posterodistal corner defined by 2 slightly disjunct parallel ledges; posteromedial surface without groove; without cuticular patch at corner of palm; dactylus subequal in length to palm; gill lobate, 2 lobes, not incised. <i>Pereopods 2–4</i> coxae slightly deeper than wide. <i>Pereopods 3–5</i> gills simple or convoluted; smaller than gills 2 and 6. <i>Pereopods 3–7</i> weakly cuspidactylate. <i>Pereopods 3–7</i> dactyli without distal patch of many rows of tiny setae on the anterior margin. <i>Pereopod 4</i> significantly shorter than pereopod 3; carpus significantly shorter than carpus of pereopod 3; thickened proximally with a notch midway along posterior margin; dactylus without anterodistal setal patch. <i>Pereopod 5</i> propodus distinctly longer than carpus. <i>Pereopod 6</i> subequal in length to pereopod 7; coxa posterior lobe inner view posteroventral corner rounded, posterior margin oblique to ventral margin, posterior lobe without ridge, posterior lobe with 5 or more marginal setae; coxal gill convoluted, coxal gill not incised; carpus slightly expanded. <i>Pereopod 7</i> basis lateral sulcus present, slightly pronounced, posterodistal lobe present, rounded, produced downwards midway along ischium; merus and carpus slightly expanded; merus posterior margin straight; carpus forming a subtriangular plate. <b>Pleon</b>. <i>Pleopods</i> all well developed. <i>Pleopod 1</i> peduncle with marginal robust setae. <i>Pleopods 1–3</i> biramous. <i>Epimeron 2</i> slightly longer than epimeron 3. <i>Epimeron 3</i> posterior margin smooth, with tiny setae, posteroventral corner subquadrate, ventral margin without robust setae. <i>Uropod 1</i> not sexually dimorphic, peduncle with 17 or 18 robust setae, peduncle distolateral robust seta absent; inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus, with 18 or 19 marginal robust setae; outer ramus with 10 marginal robust setae. <i>Uropod 2</i> not sexually dimorphic; peduncle with 5 robust setae; inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus, with 14 marginal robust setae; outer ramus with 6 marginal robust setae. <i>Uropod 3</i> peduncle with 7 robust setae; ramus subequal in length to peduncle, ramus spatulalike, ramus with 11 marginal robust setae and 4 or 5 apical setae. <i>Telson</i> broader than long, apically incised, dorsal midline entire, with marginal and apical robust setae, with 18 robust setae per lobe. <b>Male juvenile</b>, paratype, AM P.87933. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> propodus palm slightly obtuse; dactylus as long as palm. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> merus without posterodistal lobe on medial surface; propodus with posterodistal palmate lobe; palm transverse, straight. <b>Female</b> (sexually dimorphic characters). Based on paratype female, AM P.87934. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> parachelate, posterior margin of merus, carpus and propodus each without lobe covered in palmate setae; posterolateral surface with more than 10 serrate setae. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> mitten-shaped; basis slightly expanded; ischium and merus without posterodistal lobe on medial surface; posterior margin of propodus with lobe covered in palmate setae; carpus well developed (not enclosed by merus and propodus), posterior lobe present, projecting between merus and propodus; 2.8 × as long as wide; palm obtuse, smooth, lined with serrate setae. <b>Remarks.</b> The most distinctive difference between <i>B. mariae</i> and <i>B. richardsoni</i> is the shape of the male gnathopod 2 palm. In <i>B. richardsoni</i> the palm forms a broad concave distal margin with a narrow tooth just past the midpoint and a broad proximal margin with a small tooth and a discrete corner. In <i>B. mariae</i> the distal margin is much narrower, the midpalmar tooth is broader and widely rounded with 9 or 10 small robust setae, the broad proximal margin has a shallow ledge with about 11 robust setae. Also gnathopod 1 is parachelate in <i>B. mariae</i> and subchelate in <i>B. richardsoni</i>. <b>Distribution</b>. <i>New South Wales</i>: Jervis Bay; Narrawallee Beach (current study).
description: Published as part of <i>Lowry, J. K., 2012, Talitrid amphipods from ocean beaches along the New South Wales coast of Australia (Amphipoda, Talitridae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 3575</i> on pages 3-6