Mallacoota subcarinata (Haswell)

Mallacoota subcarinata (Haswell) View in CoL

Figs. 29–33

Megamoera sub-carinata Haswell, 1879b: 335 , pl. 21, fig. 4.

Elasmopus subcarinatus .–Stebbing, 1906: 441.–Stebbing, 1910a: 602.–Chilton, 1921b: 76.

Not Megamoera sub-carinata .–Chilton, 1885: 1039.

Not Moera petriei Thomson, 1882: 236 , pl. 18, fig. 3.–Chilton, 1883: 82, pl. 2, fig. 4.–Chilton, 1885: 1039.

Not Moera sub-carinata .–Chilton, 1884: 230.–Thomson & Chilton, 1886: 146.

Not Moera subcarinata .–Chilton, 1885: 1039.–Thomson, 1889: 261. Not Elasmopus subcarinatus .–Stebbing, 1888: 1019, pl. 98 (plate labelled as E. persetosus ). Chilton, 1892: 261.–Walker, 1904: 275, pl. 5, fig. 34.–Stebbing, 1906: 441.–Walker, 1909: 335.– Stebbing, 1910a: 602.–Stebbing, 1910b: 457.–Thomson, 1913: 243.–Chilton, 1915: 321, figs 1–6.–Stephensen, 1931: 11.– K.H. Barnard, 1935: 286.–Pirlot, 1936: 317, figs 136–145.– K.H. Barnard, 1937: 160.

Not Maera subcarinata .–K.H. Barnard, 1940: 460.–Nayar, 1966: 149.

Not Mallacoota subcarinata .–J.L. Barnard, 1972a: 247, figs 144– 145.–J.L. Barnard, 1972b: 114, figs 59–60 View Fig View Fig .–Lowry, 1974: 112, 125 figs 9b,d (key).–Ledoyer, 1978: 281, fig. 32.–Barnard & Barnard, 1983: 632.–Ledoyer, 1984: 71,72 figs 34–35.–Myers, 1985: 121, fig. 96.–Myers, 1986: 1390, fig. 9.–Hutchings et al., 1989: 362.–Myers, 1995: 38.

Type material. 1 SYNTYPE, ♂, 9.6 mm, AM G5390 ; 1 SYNTYPE, ♀, 10.4 mm, AM P63972 ; 2 SYNTYPES, AM P63973 , Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, [approx. 33°51'S 151°16'E, [AM Old Collection ]; GoogleMaps 3 SYNTYPES, AM P3492, Port Stephens, 32°42'S 152°06'E, [AM Old Collection ], [specimens not located, March 1993 ( Springthorpe & Lowry , 1994)] .

Additional material examined. New South Wales: 2 specimens, AM P22484, east of Mona Vale, 33°41'S 151°19'E, 16 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 11 May 1972. 2 specimens, AM P22479, east of Long Reef, 33°44'S 151°22'E, 38 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 24 Aug 1972. 5 specimens, AM P22480, same locality, 36 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 11 May 1972. 2 specimens, AM P22481, same locality, 32 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 28 May 1972. 1 specimen, AM P22482, same locality, 15 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 28 April 1972. 2 specimens,AM P22483, same locality,Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 1972. 1♂ “a” 10.4 mm, AM P22487, east of Long Reef, 33°44'S 151°22'E, 40 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 29 June 1972. 1♂ “b” 5.7 mm, AM P60563, same locality. 9 specimens, AM P22476, east of North Head, Port Jackson, 33°49'S 151°18'E, host sponge: Halme gigantea , 25 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 26 February 1974, transect 07. 1 specimen, AM P22477, east of North Head, Port Jackson, 33°49.5'S 151°18'E, 32 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, 23 May 1972. 5 specimens, AM P5860, Balmoral, Port Jackson, [approx. 33°49.7'S 151°15.1'E], T. Whitelegge, [AM Old Collection]. 1 specimen, AM P22485, east of South Head, Port Jackson, 33°50°S 151°18'E, host sponge: Halme gigantea , 21 m, Australian Museum Shelf Benthic Survey, February 1972, transect 11. 5 specimens, AM P63072, outer end of Kurnell Pier, Botany Bay, 34°00.2'S 151°12.5'E, pylon scrapings, 7 m, NSW Fisheries/CRIMP Survey, 21 October 1998, stn BB KP1 P2–7. 3 specimens, AM P63073, Kurnell Pier (near shoreline), Botany Bay, 34°00.5'S 151°12.7'E, pylon scrapings, 3 m, NSW Fisheries/ CRIMP Survey, 21 October 1998, stn BB KP2 P2–3. 6 specimens, AM P2497, 3–4 km off Botany Bay, [approx. 34°05'S 151°15'E], mud, 91– 95 m, E.R. Waite on HMCS Thetis , 11 March 1898, stn. 37. 1 specimen, AM P2498, 4.5–5 km off Jibbon Point, [approx. 34°07.5'S 151°12'E], sand, mud, 84–101 m, E.R. Waite on HMCS Thetis , 12 March 1898, stn. 38. 8 specimens, AM P2494, 5.5–6.5 km off Wattamolla, [approx. 34°10'S 151°11'E], mud, 99–108 m, E.R. Waite on HMCS Thetis , 22 March 1898, stn 57. 1 specimen,AM P2499, 11–12.5 km off Wollongong, [approx. 34°27'S 151°04'E], sand, mud, rock, 102 m, E.R. Waite on HMCS Thetis , 18 March 1898, stn. 48. 1♂, AM P63117, Jervis Bay, [approx. 35°03'S 150°44'E], T. Whitelegge. 2 specimens, AM P62905, Burrill Rock, south of Warden Head, 35°23.39'S 150°28.24'E, gorgonacean, 24 m, R.T. Springthorpe, 7 May 1997, stn NSW-1349. 9 specimens, AM P35986, Munganno Point, Twofold Bay, 37°06.2'S 149°55.7'E, subtidal rock platform, 0–7 m, P. Hutchings, 10 October 1984, stn M3. Tasmania: 1♀, E6549, Tasmanian Coast, FIS Endeavour, 1909–1914. 2 specimens, E6550, eastern slope of Bass Strait, [approx. 39°00'S 148°40'E], FIS Endeavour, 1909–1914. 3 specimens,AM P5936, same locality.

Type locality. Port Jackson, New South Wales (33°51'S 151°16'E) and Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia, (32°42'S 152°06'E).

Description. Based on male syntype, AM G5390, female syntype, AM P63972, male “a”, AM P22487 and male “b”, AM P60563.

Head. Lateral cephalic lobes broad, truncated, with anteroventral notch or slit, anteroventral corner rounded. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal in length to article 2, with 1–3 robust setae on posterior; flagellum with about 31 articles; accessory flagellum with 4–5 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland reaching at least to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 subequal to article 5; flagellum with about 12 articles. Mandible palp article 3 rectolinear, with setae mostly terminal, longer than article 1; article 2 subequal to article 3; article 1 not produced, shorter than article 2, about twice as long as broad. Maxilla 1 inner plate with 4–5 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 extremely acute, convex or sinusoidal, sculptured, with group of anterodistal robust setae, without posterodistal robust setae, with or without posteroventral corner; dactylus apically blunt or falcate. Pereopod 5 basis posterior margin straight or slightly concave, posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate. Pereopod 6 coxa anterior lobe ventral margin slightly produced, rounded; basis posterior margin concave, posteroventral corner serrate. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin slightly concave or straight, with posterior margin smooth or minutely castelloserrate, posteroventral corner narrowly rounded or subquadrate.

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 strongly produced 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 reaching scarcely one third along longest seta or absent.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 carpus short; propodus setose, convex, smooth, with sparse robust setae, defined by posterodistal robust setae; dactylus apically acute/subacute.

Habitat. Marine; littoral and continental shelf; subtidal rock platforms, sand, mud, sponges and from jetty pilings, 3.5 to 108 m depth.

Remarks. Mallacoota subcarinata Haswell, 1879b appears to be confined to Australian waters. All extrinsic records need to be carefully studied. The species appears to be most similar to those species with a strong posteroventral corner spine on epimeron 3. In Australian waters this includes M. diemenensis and Mallacoota euroka . Mallacoota diemenensis differs from all other Australian species in having dorsal carinae on pleonites 1 to 3. Mallacoota subcarinata differs from Mallacoota euroka in having only one to three robust setae along the posterior margin of antennal peduncular article 1 and in the posterior margin of the basis of pereopod 7 that is straight in M. subcarinata and convex in M. euroka .

Distribution. New South Wales: east of Long Reef; east of Port Jackson (both AM); Port Jackson (Haswell, 1879b); off Botany Bay; off Jibbon; off Wattamolla; off Wollongong (all Stebbing, 1910a); Jervis Bay; Ulladulla; Munganno Point, Twofold Bay (all AM). Tasmania: Bass Strait (Chilton, 1921b).

Australian geographic areas. Southeastern Australia.