Miramaera thetis, Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

Miramaera thetis View in CoL n.sp.

Figs. 34–36

Maera inaequipes .–Stebbing, 1910a: 599.–Sheard, 1937: 24.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ “a”, 7.9 mm, AM P62798 ; many PARATYPES, AM P27035 ; 1 PARATYPE, ♀, 6.7 mm, AM P62799 ; 1 PARATYPE, ♂ “b”, 7.8 mm, AM P62800 ; 10 PARATYPES, AM P62801 , between Troubridge Light and Cape Jervis , South Australia, 35°20'S 137°40'E, sponges on mud bottom, 20 m, D. Blake & H. Larsen, 14 March 1978 GoogleMaps .

Additional material examined. New South Wales: 1 specimen, AM P2492, 8–9.5 km off Coogee, 33°57'S 151°21.5'E, fine sand, 91 m, E.R. Waite on HMCS Thetis, 15 March 1898, stn 44. South Australia: 1 ovigerous female, E6544, 24 km north west of Cape Jervis, [approx. 35°26'S 137°55'E], 31 m, FIS Endeavour, 1909–1914.

Type locality. Between Troubridge Light and Cape Jervis, South Australia, [approx. 35°20'S 137°40'E], sponges on mud bottom, 20 m.

Description. Based on holotype male, AM P62798 and

paratype female, AM P62799.

Head. Lateral cephalic lobes broad, rounded, without notch or slit, anteroventral corner with acute/subacute spine. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 slightly shorter than article 2, with 4 or more robust setae along posterior margin; flagellum with 16 articles; accessory flagellum with 9 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 longer than article 5; flagellum with 8 or 9 articles. Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, setose on distomedial margin, longer than article 1; article 2 longer than article 3; article 1 produced distally, shorter than article 2, about twice as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 3 setae mainly terminal.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced, acute, posteroventral corner notch absent; merus without posterodistal spine; carpus with anterodistal swelling; 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, palm acute, convex, sculptured, lined with robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae, defined by posteroventral spine; apically acute/ subacute. Pereopod 5–6 basis posterior margin slightly concave, posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin slightly convex, with posterior margin castelloserrate, posteroventral corner broadly rounded.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Epimera 1–2 posteroventral margin without spines above posteroventral corner. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner subquadrate. Uropod 3 rami distally truncated; inner ramus subequal in length to outer ramus; outer ramus longer (1.2 to 2× length) than peduncle, 1-articulate. Telson each lobe with 2 apical/subapical robust setae, apical conical extension reaching scarcely one third along longest seta.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 palm smooth.

Habitat. Marine; sponges on mud bottom, sand; littoral, continental shelf; 20 to 100 m depth.

Etymology. Named for the Thetis Expedition , which collected the marine fauna off the coast of Sydney during 1898.

Remarks. Miramaera thetis differs significantly from Miramaera tepuni (J.L. Barnard, 1972b) , the only other

species in the genus, in the rami of uropod 3 that are only half the length of those of P. tepuni .

Distribution. New South Wales: off Coogee and off Wollongong (both Stebbing, 1910a). South Australia: Cape Jervis (AM)

Australian geographic areas. Southeastern and southern Australia.