Protella similis Mayer 1903
Creators: name: Guerra-García, José M.
name: Lowry, J. K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Caprellidae
Protella
Protella similis

description: <i>Protella similis</i> Mayer, 1903 (Fig. 9) <i>Protella similis</i> Mayer, 1903: 34, pl. 1: figs 19–22, pl. 6: figs 41, 42. — Laubitz, 1991: 119, fig. 16. — Guerra-García, 2002a: 227, figs 13–16. — Guerra-García, 2004a: 52, 54, fig. 42. —Guerra-García, 2006: 448, fig. 53. <b>Material examined.</b> More than 20 specimens, AM P61707 (QLD 1525). See station list for occurrences (Lowry &amp; Myers 2009) and Guerra-García (2006) for complete material examined. <b>Type locality.</b> <i>Indonesia</i> (7º25’S 113º16’E, 7ºS 120º34.5’E, 2º25’S 117º43’E, 0º3.8’S 1303º24.3’E, 1º42.5’S 130º47.5’E). <b>Description.</b> Based on male, 8.4 mm, AM P61707. <b>Head</b> and pereonites slender. <i>Head/pereonite 1</i> fused (suture present), dorsal margin convex; eye large, distinctive. <i>Antenna 1</i> well developed; slender, as long or longer than body; peduncle articles 2 and 3 subequal in length, article 3 straight; accessory flagellum absent; flagellum 0.66 x peduncular length or 0.75 x peduncular length, with more than 2 articles. <i>Antenna 2</i> 0.4 x antenna 1 length, slender; peduncle with several feeble setae; flagellum about 1/5 (0.2 x) of peduncular length or about 1/4 (0.25 x) of peduncular length, with 2 articles. <i>Labrum</i> notched, forming rounded quadrilateral projections. <i>Mandible</i> right incisor with 5 teeth, right lacinia mobilis with 2 large teeth; molar well developed; left incisor with 5 teeth, lacinia mobilis with 4 teeth; palp 3–articulate. <i>Maxilla 1</i> outer plate with 5 stout apical setal-teeth. <i>Maxilliped</i> inner plate smaller than outer plate; subrectangular; 2 x length of inner plate or 2.5 x length of inner plate; palp article 2 setose on inner margin; palp article 4 slightly enlarged, falcate. <b>Pereon</b>. Pereonites 2 to 7 not fused; pereonite 5 longest (subequal to pereonite 3). Pereonite 1 without projections. <i>Gnathopod 1</i> distinctly smaller than gnathopod 2; propodus triangular, palm begins 1/4 along posterior margin, smooth, without large, rounded knob proximally; dactylus slightly curved, inner margin serrate. <i>Pereonite 2</i> without projections. <i>Gnathopod 2</i> situated toward anterior end or situated near middle of pereonite 2; basis about 0.75 x length of pereonite 2, with anterodistal projection; ischium without anterodistal projection; propodus subovate, anterodistal margin slightly convex, without anterodistal triangular projection, without projections along mid-anterior margin; palm without proximal cavity filled with membranous sack, palm proximal projection with 1 robust (grasping) seta, palm margin straight or irregular, smooth, without hook-like projection at base of dactylus, with narrow well developed distal shelf (poorly developed), with 1 large projection, with 2 shallow sinuses, without midpalmar projection. <i>Pereonite 3</i> without projections. <i>Pereopod 3</i> reduced, with 1 article. <i>Pereonite 4</i> without projections. <i>Pereopod 4</i> reduced, with 1 article. <i>Pereopod 5</i> well developed, with 6 articles, slender. Pereopods 6 and 7 prehensile. <i>Gills</i> on pereonites 3 and 4. <i>Pereonite 3 gill</i> length about 1/2 of corresponding pereonite, straight, ovate. <i>Pereonite 4 gill</i> length about 1/2 of corresponding pereonite or length about 2/3 of corresponding pereonite, straight, ovate. <i>Pereopods 6 and 7</i> present. <b>Pleon</b>. <i>Uropod 1</i> present (in the form of a lateral lobe); peduncle fused to pleon. <b>Habitat.</b> Living on the hydroids similar to <i>Macrorhynchia philippina,</i> and <i>Aglaophenia delicatula</i>, sediments and an erect brown sponge similar to <i>Pericharax heteroraphis</i> in 2 to 20 m depth. The species has been also found in corals (Guerra-García, 2002a) and gorgonaceans (Guerra-García, 2004a). <b>Remarks</b>. <i>Protella similis</i> appear to be uncommon on the Great Barrier Reef, but it can be locally abundant living mainly on hydroids. <b>Distribution</b>. <i>Australia</i>. Queensland: Pidgin Point, Watsons Bay; Turtle Beach; Palfrey Island; South Island, all Lizard Island (Guerra-García 2006). <i>Indonesia</i> Mollucca and Ceram Seas; Arafura Sea; Flores Sea; Dongala, Celebes; Banda Sea; Java Sea (Mayer 1903; McCain &amp; Steinberg 1970). <i>Philippines</i> (Laubitz 1991). <i>Tanzania</i> (Guerra-García 2002a). <i>Thailand</i> (McCain &amp; Steinberg 1970).
description: Published as part of <i>Guerra-García, José M. &amp; Lowry, J. K., 2009, Caprellidae *, pp. 290-327 in Zootaxa 2260 (1)</i> on pages 307-309, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2260.1.12, http://zenodo.org/record/5320964
description: {"references": ["Mayer, P. (1903) Die Caprelliden der Siboga-Expedition. Siboga Expeditie, 34, 1 - 160.", "Laubitz, D. R. (1991) Crustacea Amphipoda Caprellidea: Caprellids from the western Pacific (New Caledonia, Indonesia and the Philippines). In A. Crosnier (ed.). Resultats des Campagnes MUSORTSTOM, 152, 101 - 123.", "Guerra-Garcia, J. M. (2002 a) Redescription of five rare caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidea) collected from Tanzanian coasts. Helgoland Marine Research, 55: 221 - 231.", "Guerra-Garcia, J. M. (2004 a) The Caprellidea (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Western Australia and Northern Territory, Australia. Hydrobiologia, 522 (1 - 3), 1 - 74.", "Lowry, J. K. &amp; Myers, A. A. (2009) Foreword. In: Lowry, J. K. &amp; Myers, A. A. (Eds), Amphipoda of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa, 2260, 17 - 108.", "McCain, J. C. &amp; Steinberg, J. E. (1970) Amphipoda-I, Caprellidea-I. Crustaceorum Catalogus, 2, 1 - 78."]}