Victoriopisa australiensis (Chilton)

Victoriopisa australiensis (Chilton) View in CoL

Figs. 44–46

Niphargus australiensis Chilton, 1923: 80 , fig. 1.–Sheard, 1937: 24.

Victoriopisa australiensis .–Stock, 1980: 383.–Stock & Platvoet, 1981: 30 (key).–Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 670.–Karaman, 1984: 58.–Jones, et al., 1986: 541.–Jones, 1987: 623.– Hutchings et al., 1989: 362.

Type material. Holotype, AM P5852 , in South West Creek, 400 m from the sea, Macleay River , South West Rocks , Trial Bay , New South Wales, [approx. 30°53'S 153°03'E], tidal lagoon , J.R. Kinghorn, 1920 GoogleMaps .

Additional material examined. New South Wales: 4 specimens, AM P63955, near boat ramp, Hickey Island, Clarence River, New South Wales, Australia, 29°26.039'S 153°21.552°E (GPS), sand silt, van Veen grab, 3 m, P. Hutchings et al., 25 February 2003, stn NSW-2120. 1 specimen, AM P56683, near Fred Hansen Bridge Boambee Creek, Sawtell, 30°20.8'S 153°05.6'E, seagrass ( Zostera ) and mud, 0.2 m, Australian Museum party, 8 March 1992, stn NSW-718. 1♂, 11.1 mm, AM P56684, 50 m upstream from Fred Hansen Bridge, Boambee Creek, Sawtell, New South Wales, Australia, 30°20.8'S 153°05.6'E, seagrass ( Zostera ), 0.5 m, sweep net at low tide, Australian Museum party, 8 March 1992, stn NSW-719. 1 specimen, AM P60599, 50 m upstream from Fred Hansen Bridge, Boambee Creek, Sawtell, 30°20.8'S 153°05.6'E, seagrass ( Zostera ), 0.5 m, sweep net at low tide, Australian Museum party, 8 March 1992, stn NSW-719. 2 specimens, AM P54276, Wallis Lake, [approx. 32°17'S 152°30'E], M. Lincoln-Smith, stn Zostera Bay 5. Many specimens, AM P30831-P30971, near mangroves, north west side Fullerton Cove, Hunter River, [approx. 32°50'S 151°46.5'E], soft mudflat, 0–3.5 m, Australian Littoral Society, NSW Division, between 8 June 1975 and 12 November 1977, transects A1–4, B1–3, C6–7. 1 specimen, AM P54283, Ermington Bay, Parramatta River, 33°49.2'S 151°04.1'E, Coast and Wetlands Society Survey, 8 October 1985, stn 6, 6. 5 specimens, AM P55282, 1 km upstream of Thackeray Street footbridge, Parramatta River, New South Wales, 33°49.24'S 151°02.17'E, muddy sand, 3.3 m, P. Berents & party, 7 December 1994, Site 2, Rep 1, Upper Parramatta River Dredging Survey, 1992–1994. 4 specimens, AM P54282, Brays Bay, Parramatta River, 33°50.0'S 151°05.5'E, Coast & Wetlands Society Survey, 8 October 1985, stn 1, 8. 2 specimens, AM P54284, Homebush Bay, Parramatta River, 33°50'S 151°05'E, Coast & Wetlands Society Survey, 8 October 1985, stn 5, 6. 50 specimens, AM P41818, south end of Homebush Bay, New South Wales, 33°50.03'S 151°04.73'E, 2.5 m, Van Veen grab, P. Berents & party, 26 November 1992, site 25. 2 specimens, AM P54277, Cabarita, Parramatta River, 33°51'S 151°07'E, L. Garcia, 8 September 1988, stn D7.r1. 1 specimen, AM P55249, Back Creek mangrove, Tuross Lake, 36°03.67'S 150°06.43'E, mud, Australian Museum Eurobodalla Shire Estuary Survey, 16 September 1974. 2 specimens, AM P36699, Shadrachs Creek, Twofold Bay, 37°04.8'S 149°52.5'E, Zostera , infauna, S. Keable & A. Reid, 26 June 1985, stn L2.

Type locality. South West Rocks, Trial Bay, New South Wales, [approx. 30°53'S 153°03'E], tidal lagoon.

Description. Based on male, AM P56684.

Head. Eyes absent; lateral cephalic lobes absent, lacking notch or slit, anteroventral corner rounded. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2, without robust setae along posterior margin; peduncular article 2 geniculate with article 3; flagellum with 33 articles; accessory flagellum with 2 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 shorter than article 5; flagellum with 3–4 articles. Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, setose along straight medial margin, with setae mostly terminal, longer than article 1; article 2 longer than or subequal article 3; article 1 produced distally, shorter than article 2, about as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate setose along entire inner margin.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced, rounded, posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal spine; propodus palm nearly transverse, convex, defined by posterodistal corner, defined by posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic, subchelate; coxa posteroventral corner notch absent; merus with rounded or subquadrate posteroventral corner; carpus short; propodus without medial depression, palm acute, concave, smooth, with sparse robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral corner; dactylus apically acute/ subacute. Pereopods 5–6 basis posterior margin straight, posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate; 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; merus posterodistal margin broadly rounded.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Epimera 1–2 posteroventral margin without spines above posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner with small acute spine or with strongly produced acute spine. Uropod 1 peduncle with 2 basofacial robust setae. Uropod 3 inner ramus scale-like, much shorter than outer ramus; outer ramus much longer (more than 2× length) than peduncle, 2-articulate. Telson without apical robust setae, apical conical extension absent.

Habitat. Estuarine; littoral; mangrove mud flats and seagrasses; 0 to 3 m depth.

Remarks. The holotype (AM P5852) was originally deposited in Australian Museum, but assumed to be lost (Springthorpe & Lowry, 1994). Consequently another specimen from near the type locality (AM P56684) was illustrated and used for the description. Since then the type specimen has been located.

Victoriopisa australiensis and V. marina differ most obviously from each other as follows. In V. australiensis the male gnathopod 2 has a short carpus and the palm of the propodus is broadly excavate and not bordered by robust setae, whereas in V. marina the carpus is compressed and the palm is narrowly excavate and bordered by robust setae. Victoriopisa australiensis has a large, broadly expanded basis and merus on pereopod 7 with many slender setae distally. In V. marina the basis and merus are narrower and the distal part of the pereopod is not nearly as setose.

Distribution. New South Wales: Southwest Creek, Trial Bay (Chilton, 1923); Boambee Creek, Sawtell; Wallis Lake; Fullerton Cove, Hunter River; Hawkesbury River (Jones et al., 1986; Jones, 1987); Pittwater; Parramatta River; Botany Bay; Tuross; Twofold Bay (all AM).

Australian geographic areas. Southeastern Australia.