Maeropsis cobia Krapp-Schickel 2009, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Krapp-Schickel, Traudl
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Maeridae
Maeropsis
Maeropsis cobia

description: <i>Maeropsis cobia</i> sp. nov. (Figs 17, 18) <i>Maera serratipalma</i>. — Ledoyer, 1983: 546: fig. 208. — Appadoo <i>et al.</i> 2002: 657, figs 9–11. <b>Type material.</b> Holotype: male, 3.6 mm, AM P71183, Mermaid Cove, Lizard Island (14°38.91’S 145°27.26’E), encrusting algae &amp; rubble, sand with rubble bottom, 2 m, T. Krapp-Schickel, 28 February 2005 (QLD 1730). Paratypes, 1, sex unknown, AM P77699, same locality. <b>Additional material examined.</b> 2 juveniles, AM P70658 (QLD 1621); 1 juvenile, AM P77719 (QLD 1621); 1 juvenile, AM P70951 (QLD 1697); 1 juvenile, AM P71287 (QLD 1763); 2 juveniles, AM P71294 (QLD 1765); 1 juvenile, AM P71599 (QLD 1777); 1 juvenile, AM P71381 (QLD 1791); 1 juvenile, AM P71431 (QLD 1808); 4 adults, AM P77700 (SEL / LZI 1-3); 1 female, 8 juveniles, AM P77718 (SEL /LZI-2-2). <b>Type locality.</b> Mermaid Cove, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (14°38.84’S 145°27.24’E). <b>Etymology.</b> After Cobia Hole on Lizard Island. <b>Description.</b> Based on holotype, male, 3.6 mm, AM P71183. <b>Head.</b> <i>Head</i> lateral cephalic lobe rounded, lacking anteroventral notch. <i>Eye</i> oval. <i>Antenna 1</i> first two peduncular articles subequal; accessory flagellum with 4 articles. <i>Antenna 2</i> peduncular article 5 shorter than 4. <i>Mandible</i> palp article 1 with acute distal prolongation, article 3 longer than article 1, shorter than article 2. <i>Maxilla 1</i> inner plate very slender with 2 terminal setae. <i>Maxilla 2</i> inner plate slender, slightly slimmer than outer plate, with many distal and a few lateral setae; no mediofacial row of setae. <b>Pereon.</b> <i>Gnathopod 1</i> coxa subquadrate with anterodistal margin produced, acute; carpus longer than propodus; propodus with rounded posterior margin. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> propodus trapezium-shaped, regularly widening distally; palm serrate, with regular toothwaves; incision directly before defining spine on palmar corner very shallow. <i>Pereopods 5–7</i> basis posterior margin serrated, narrowing distally. <b>Pleon.</b> Epimera 1–3 all margins smooth, posterodistal corner a little lengthened and upturned. <i>Uropod 3</i> rami unequal, distally truncate, with a distal and marginal group of robust setae about half length of rami. <i>Telson</i> trapezium-shaped, distally narrowing, truncate, with very shallow excavate lobes, with 1 long and 2 short robust setae inserted. <b>Female</b> (sexually dimorphic characters). No sexual difference. <b>Variation.</b> Gnathopod 2 propodus palm lacking incision before defining spine. <b>Habitat.</b> Encrusting algae and coral rubble, sand with rubble bottom, 1–16 m depth. <b>Remarks.</b> Both Ledoyer (1983) and Appadoo <i>et al</i>. (2002), named their material <i>Maera serratipalma</i> after the species described by Nagata, (1965). But Nagata's material is more than double size (7–8 mm), gnathopod 1 has a well defined palmar corner and is much less robust, gnathopod 2 has nearly parallel margins on the propodus (here clearly widening distally) and the bases of pereopods 6 and 7 have rounded and lengthened posterodistal lobes, which are not present in the present material; also the telsonic spination is different. <b>Distribution.</b> <i>Australia</i>. Queensland: Lizard Island (current study). <i>Madagascar</i> (Ledoyer 1983). <i>Mauritius</i> (Appadoo <i>et al.</i> 2002).
description: Published as part of <i>Krapp-Schickel, Traudl, 2009, Maeridae, the Ceradocus group *, pp. 598-642 in Zootaxa 2260 (1)</i> on page 622, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2260.1.32, http://zenodo.org/record/5309853
description: {"references": ["Ledoyer, M. (1983) Crustaces amphipodes gammariens. Familles des Acanthonotozomatidae a Gammaridae. Faune de Madagascar, 59 (1), 1 - 598.", "Appadoo, C., Myers, A. A. &amp; Fagoonee, I. (2002) The genera Quadrimaera and Maera (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Melitidae) from Mauritius. Journal of Natural History, 36 (6), 641 - 673."]}