Neoecetes conipes Just, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Just, Jean
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Ischyroceridae
Neoecetes
Neoecetes conipes

description: Neoecetes conipes sp. nov.
Figures 23, 24
Type fixation. Holotype, male, here designated.
Etymology. The species is named for its conical uropod 3 ramus.
Material examined. Holotype, 3, 5.5 mm, Victoria, southern Port Phillip Bay, 38°21.00’S, 144°51.30’E, 9 m, Smith-McIntyre grab, FV Melita, stn PPBES 985, G.C. Poore, S.F. Rainer et al., 9 December 1971, NMV J62378 (left antenna 2 peduncle damaged, right antenna 2 flagellum missing).
Paratypes. Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, 38°07.0’S, 144°44.7’E, 4 m, sand, PPBES stn 945, 16 November 1971, NMV J1382 (1 fully developed Ƥ, 1 damaged 3). Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, 38°21.0’S, 144°51.5’E, 9 m, sand, stn PPBES 985, 9 December 1971, NMV J62570 (1 3, 1 specimen).
Description, (holotype, 3). Head as long as pereonite 1 and 2 combined along dorsal midline; brows narrow; midanterior depression deep, encompassing approximately 0.5 head length. Rostrum moderately down turned, in dorsal view slender, acutely pointed, about twice as long as broad at base, reaching well beyond apices of eye lobes. Eye lobes apically truncate in lateral view, lower anterior margin with a few short simple setae.
Antenna 1 approximately as long as head and pereonites 1–5 combined, reaching to proximal 1/6 of antenna 2 peduncle article 5; flagellum of 7+ articles, approximately as long as peduncle articles 1 and half of 2 combined. Antenna 2 (length not verifiable), ventral projection of peduncle article 2 approximately 2.5 times longer than broad at base, with truncate apex, with long setae apically and along distal half of lateral margin; article 5 length 0.9 of article 4; flagellum articles 1 and 2 with medium sized robust setae.
Gnathopod 1 propodus length 2.9 width, with 4 posterior slender robust setae. Gnathopod 2 carpus posterior projection with 2 robust setae; propodus length 1.8 greatest width, cutting edge nearly straight, posteriorly defined by 3 robust setae. Pereopods 3–4 basis with scattered long and short setae along anterior and middle of posterior margins; merus with 2 groups of setae on mid anterior margin, scattered setae on posterior margin, and tuft of long setae on anterior and posterior projections. Pereopods 5–6 basis with long setae in distal corner of anterior margin; merus with 2 groups of long setae in distal half of posterior margin; carpus with short row of small robust setae adjacent to long terminal robust seta. Pereopod 7 carpus anterior margin with row of unequal setae; propodus anterior margin with 5 groups of long setae in distal half.
Uropod 1 peduncle with 1 or 2 dorsal simple setae; outer ramus slender, inward curved, 0.6 length of peduncle, lateral margin with row of 4 robust setae, medial margin smooth; inner ramus nearly straight, smooth except for apical robust seta. Uropod 2 peduncle 0.4 length peduncle of uropod 1, with a few simple setae dorsally; ramus 0. 6 length of peduncle, slender, straight, smooth except for apical robust seta, reaching to apex of ramus uropod 3. Uropod 3 peduncle with barely produced median projection carrying a few small simple setae; ramus with row of unequally long setae laterally and on apex. Telson width approximately 0.9 length, distal margin broadly rounded.
Size. Largest 3, 5.5 mm.
Colour and biology. Colour and abodes not known.
Distribution. Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip Bay, 4– 9 m.
Variation. One paratype has only 1 robust seta on gnathopod 2 carpus projection. Both paratypes, however, share with the holotype the short row of small robust setae on pereopods 5 and 6 carpus and the conical ramus of uropod 3 with lateral setae only.
description: Published as part of Just, Jean, 2012, Siphonoecetini Just, 1983 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Ischyroceridae) 9: New species in Rhinoecetes Just, 1983, Cephaloecetes gen. nov. and Neoecetes gen. nov. from the south-eastern Australian shelf, pp. 1-42 in Zootaxa 3234 on pages 38-41, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.213268