Austromaera mastersii (Haswell, 1879a)

Austromaera mastersii (Haswell, 1879a) View in CoL

Figs. 1–4

Megamaera mastersii Haswell, 1879a: 265 , pl. 11, fig. 1.–Haswell, 1882: 258.–Haswell, 1885: 105.

Maera mastersii .–Stebbing, 1899: 426.–Stebbing, 1906: 439.– Stebbing, 1910a: 642.–?Chilton, 1921b: 72 (southern Australia).

Not Moera mastersii .–Chilton, 1911: 564 (Kermadec Islands) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).

Not Maera mastersi .–Thomson, 1882: 235 (in part, part = M. quadrimana ) (New Zealand).–Sheard, 1936: 177, fig. 3 (South Australia) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).–Sheard, 1937: 24 (South Australia) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).– Sivaprakasam, 1969: 36, fig. 1 a–g [= L. mannarensis (Sivaprakasam, 1970) , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003].– J.L. Barnard, 1972a: 226, fig. 132 (southern Australia) (= L. leo Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).– J.L. Barnard, 1972b: 109, figs 55–56 View Fig View Fig (New Zealand) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).– Ledoyer, 1979: 77, fig. 44 [= Zygomaera pseudemarginata (Ledoyer, 1982) (Madagascar)].–Lowry & Fenwick, 1983: 236 (New Zealand subantarctic) (=? L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).

Not Maera mastersii .–Chevreux, 1908: 481 (French Polynesia).– Stebbing, 1910b: 457 (South Africa).–Chilton, 1916: 367 (New Zealand).–Chilton, 1925: 317 (Chatham Islands, New Zealand).– Hale, 1929: 215, fig. 213 (figure = L. thomsoni of Miers, 1884) (South Australia) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).–Hurley, 1954: 603 (New Zealand) (= L. tias Krapp-Schickel, 2003 , according to Krapp-Schickel, 2003).– Griffiths, 1974b:291 (SouthAfrica).–J.L.Barnard,1962: 99 (key).

Type material. Syntype, female, ovigerous, AM P3487 , Port Jackson, New South Wales , Australia , [approx. 33°50.9'S 151°16.2'E], [from AM Old Collection]. GoogleMaps

Additional material examined. New South Wales: male, 11.8 mm, AM P60389; female, 12.5 mm, AM P27286, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, 33°50.9'S 151°16.2'E, in and among dense tubes on sediment covered rocks, G.D. Fenwick, 29 Aug 1977. 1♂, AM P60390; 5 specimens, AM P60391, off Wy-ar-gine Point, Port Jackson, [approx. 33°49'S 151°15.1'E], sand and shell, dredge, Malacological Society, 8 May 1971. 1 specimen, AM P60392, northeast of Marys Rock, Cook Island, 28°11.42'S 153°34.79'E, orange bryozoan, 19 m, R.T. Springthorpe, 8 June 1993, stn NSW-816.

Type locality. Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, [approx. 33°50.9'S 151°16.2'E].

Description. Based on syntype female, AM P3487, male, AM P60389 and female AM P27286.

Head. Lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, with anteroventral slit, anteroventral corner subquadrate, with acute/subacute spine. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2, with 1 distal robust seta on posterior margin; flagellum with 34 articles; accessory flagellum with 6 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer or subequal to article 5; flagellum with 20 articles Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, setose along straight medial margin, longer than article 1; article 2 longer 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, acute, posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal spine; palm extremely acute, slightly convex, without posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; subchelate; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with sharp posteroventral spine; carpus compressed; propodus without medial depression, palm acute, straight, sculptured, with sparse robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral corner; apically acute/subacute. Pereopod 5 basis posterior margin straight, posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Pereopod 6–7 basis posterior margin convex, posteroventral corner broadly rounded.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner broadly rounded, or with small acute spine. Epimera 1–2 posteroventral margin without spines above posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner with small acute spine. Uropod 3 inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus longer (1.2 to 2× length) than peduncle, 1-articulate. Telson with robust setae on inner margins (1 or 2 per lobe), without apical robust setae, apical conical extension absent.

Habitat. Marine; littoral; in and among dense tubes on sediment covered rocks, bryozoans, sand and shell, 7 to 19 m depth.

Remarks. Although there are many records of A. mastersii in the literature from inside and outside Australia, only Haswell (1879a: 265, pl. 11, fig. 1), Sheard (1936: 177, fig. 3), J.L. Barnard (1972a: 226, fig. 132), J.L. Barnard, 1972b: 109, figs 55–56 View Fig View Fig and Ledoyer (1979: 77, fig. 44) illustrated their material. Neither Sheard (1936), nor J.L. Barnard (1972a,b) showed the distinctive third uropods and telson illustrated by Haswell (1879a). Their misidentified species have recently been studied by Krapp-Schickel (2003). The material of Ledoyer (1979) was later shown to be a different species, now known as Zygomaera pseudemarginata (Ledoyer, 1982) . Based on currently available information, A. mastersii appears to be confined to southeastern and possibly southern Australia. Other records attributed to this species (at least since Haswell [1885] synonymized L. thomsoni with A. mastersii and certainly since the illustrations of Sheard [1936]) represent Linguimaera leo and L. tias of Krapp-Schickel (2003) plus several unknown species.

Distribution. New South Wales: Bottle and Glass Rocks and Wy-ar-gine Point, Port Jackson; Marys Rock, Cook Island (all AM).

Australian geographic areas. Southeastern Australia.