Mallacoota kameruka Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005, n.sp.
Creators: name: Lowry, JK
name: Springthorpe, RT
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Maeridae
Mallacoota
Mallacoota kameruka

description: Mallacoota kameruka n.sp.
Figs. 23–25
Elasmopus subcarinatus.–Stebbing, 1888: 1019, pl. 98 (plates labelled as E. persetosus).
Mallacoota subcarinata.–J.L. Barnard, 1972a:247, fig. 145.–Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 632 (in part).–Hutchings et al., 1989: 362.
Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ “a”, 10.0 mm, AM P60491; 1 PARATYPE, ♀, 10.0 mm, AM P60492; 10 PARATYPES, 5♂♂, 5♀♀, AM P 60493; 1 PARATYPE, ♂ “b”, AM P60494, northeast of Marys Rock, Cook Island, New South Wales, Australia, 28°11.42'S 153°34.79'E, orange bryozoan, 19 m, R.T. Springthorpe, 8 June 1993, stn NSW-816.
Additional material examined. New South Wales: 41♂♂ (including juveniles), 80♀♀ (incl. juveniles), AM P54972, type locality. 13 specimens, AM P57672, 100 m north west of Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, 28°36.8'S 153°37.8'E, red algae Delisea pulchra, 16 m, S.J. Keable, 4 March 1992, stn NSW-648. 1 specimen, AM P56677, hand collected at low tide northern shore under Fred Hansen Bridge, Boambee Creek, Sawtell, 30°20.4'S 153°05.5'E, exposed mud flat, Australian Museum party, 8 March 1992, stn NSW-717. 4 specimens, AM P5724, Port Stephens, [approx. 32°42'S 152°06'E], dredged, A. Musgrave, 30 August 1920. 1 specimen, AM P47047, west side of Box Head, Broken Bay, 33°33'S 151°21'E, coralline algae in low intertidal zone exposed to the south, A. Murray, R.T. Springthorpe & H.E. Stoddart, 11 April 1981, stn NSW-2. 2♂♂, 2♀♀, AM P60495, Port Jackson, [approx. 33°51'S 151°16'E]. 15 specimens, G926, Jervis Bay, [approx. 35°03'S 150°44'E], T. Whitelegge. 1♂, AM P52785, Moe’s Rock, South of Jervis Bay, 35°09'S 150°45'E, foliose bryozoan, 18 m, R.T. Springthorpe & J.K. Lowry, 29 June 1981, stn NSW-55. 3♀♀, AM P52784, southern end of Lighthouse Reef, Ulladulla, New South Wales, 35°22.14'S 150°29.31'E, bryozoan?Orthoscuticella sp., 16 m, P.B. Berents, K.B. Attwood, 30 April 1997, stn NSW-1267. 1♂, AM P47054, Merimbula Wharf, Merimbula, 36°53.92'S 149°55.64'E, mixed red and brown algae, 8 m, K.B. Attwood, 18 May 1995, NSW–1103. 7 specimens, AM P63381, Murrumbulga Point, Twofold Bay, New South Wales, 37°04.7'S 149°53.1'E, subtidal rock platform, S.J Keable, A. Paul, L. Walker, 29 March 1985, stn Q8/9. Queensland: 2♀♀, AM P3493, Port Denison, [approx. 20°03'S 148°15'E], [AM Old Collection]. 1♀, P 47055, Boat Rock, North Stradbroke Island, 27°25.1'S 153°33.28'E, bryozoans, hydrozoans & brown algae, 28 m, R.T. Springthorpe, 3 June 1993, stn QLD-853. Victoria: 1♂, AM P3494, Griffiths Point, [approx. 38°32'S 145°22'E], [AM Old Collection]. Western Australia: 2 specimens, AM P41234, 300 m southeast of Penguin Island, Warnbro Sound, 32°18.5'S 115°41.6'E, seagrass: Amphibolis griffithii, 3.5 m, P. Hutchings et al., 7–9 November 1990, stn A.
Type locality. Marys Rock, Cook Island, New South Wales, Australia, 28°11.42'S 153°34.79'E, on a bryozoan, 19 m.
Description. Based on holotype male, AM P60491 and paratype female, AM P60492.
Head. Lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner rounded. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2, with 3 robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with at least 24 articles; accessory flagellum with 3–4 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5; flagellum with about 11 articles. Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, setose along straight medial margin, longer than article 1; article 2 shorter than article 3; article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about twice as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with about 3 setae mainly terminal.
Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced, rounded, posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal spine; propodus palm acute, convex, without posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with sharp posteroventral spine; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, with strong setal bunch, palm acute, straight, sculptured, with group of anterodistal robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral spine; dactylus apically falcate. Pereopod 5 basis posterior margin convex, posteroventral corner broadly rounded; carpus and propodus with many long, slender setae along anterior margin. Pereopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, rounded; basis posterior margin convex, posteroventral corner broadly rounded; carpus and propodus with many long, slender setae along anterior margin. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin convex, with posterior margin smooth or minutely castelloserrate, posteroventral corner broadly rounded.
Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner with small acute spine. Epimera 1–2 posteroventral margin without spines above posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner subquadrate or with small acute spine. Urosomite 1 dorsally bicarinate. Uropod 3 inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus longer (1.2 to 2× length) than peduncle, 1-articulate. Telson each lobe with 3 or more apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension absent.
Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 carpus short; propodus setose, smooth, with sparse robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral corner; dactylus apically acute/subacute.
Habitat. Marine; littoral; living among bryozoans and red algae, 16 to19 m depth.
Etymology. Named for the coastal steamer Kameruka, wrecked on Pedro Reef, off Moruya, New South Wales, in 1897.
Remarks. This species was originally described as Mallacoota subcarinata phenotype B by J.L. Barnard (1972a). It appears to be the same as the Challenger specimens Stebbing (1888) described from off Melbourne. Mallacoota kameruka is similar to M. subcarinata and M. malua in the absence of posteroventral notches on coxae 1 and 2. It differs from all Australian species in having convex posterior margins of pereopods 5–7.
Distribution. Queensland: Port Denison; North Stradbroke Island (both AM). New South Wales: Marys Rock, Cook Island; Julian Rocks, Byron Bay; Boambee Creek, Sawtell; Port Stephens; Broken Bay; Port Jackson; Jervis Bay; Ulladulla; Merimbula (all AM); Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (Hutchings et al., 1989). Victoria: Off Melbourne (Stebbing, 1888); Griffiths Point (AM); Port Phillip (J.L. Barnard, 1972a). Western Australia: Point Peron; Rottnest Island; Cottesloe Beach (all J.L. Barnard, 1972a); Warnbro Sound (AM).
Australian geographic areas. Northeastern, southeastern, southern and southwestern Australia.
description: Published as part of Lowry, JK & Springthorpe, RT, 2005, New and Little-known Melitid Amphipods from Australian Waters (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae), pp. 237-302 in Records of the Australian Museum 57 on pages 262-265, DOI: 10.3853/j.0067-1975.57.2005.1463, http://zenodo.org/record/15323482