Epimeria (Hoplepimeria) d’Acoz & Verheye 2017
- Dataset
- Epimeria of the Southern Ocean with notes on their relatives (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Eusiroidea)
- Rank
- SUBGENUS
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Malacostraca
- order
- Amphipoda
- family
- Epimeriidae
- genus
- Epimeria
biology_ecology
Ecology Benthic, 33 – 2154 m.
description
Description Body opaque, with teguments very strongly calcified. Rostrum medium-sized to large. Eyes not conical. Pereionites and pleonites with a wide diversity of ornamentation. Most species have a low and broad mid-dorsal crest on their pleonites and often on their anterior pereionites. However all the pereionites and pleonites can have a very long non-flattened mid-dorsal tooth (E. rubrieques), or the body can be strongly sculptured (E. rimicarinata). Dorsolateral processes are absent except for E. rimicarinata, where they are part of its sculpured pattern. Pereionites 1 – 7 without ventrolateral tooth or protrusion just above connection with coxa. Coxae 1 – 4 with sharp or blunt tip. Coxae 1 – 3 usually weakly keeled along their axis. Coxa 4 with or without groove along the posteroventral border; when present, the anterior border of this groove forms a kind of blunt carina; when present this carina never bears a tooth projecting laterally; posteroventral border straight or concave. Coxa 5 with tooth or blunt protrusion projecting backwards (size and development very variable). Coxa 6 with or without blunt protrusion projecting backwards. Posteroventral tooth of epimeral plate 3 small to medium-sized. Dorsal process of urosomite 1 produced into a blunt tooth or a rounded lobe directed upwards. Urosomite 2 without pair of small teeth pointing upwards. Lateral borders of urosomite 3 posteriorly terminated into an acute angle. Peduncle of antenna 1 with dentition very reduced (a small ventral tooth can be present on article 1). Mandible with molar process triturative. Lower lip with narrow (V-shaped) hypopharyngeal gap. Palp of maxilliped with 4 articles. Gnathopods of normal size, with carpus and propodus very robust, with palm obliquely transverse (gnathopods subcheliform); propodus often expanded distally; posterior border of dactylus lined by row of small oblique slender teeth. Basis of pereiopods 5 – 6 broad, with posteroproximal process, which can be a (very low) rounded protrusion or a large (sometimes swordlike) tooth orientated in the same direction as the basis, with or without posterodistal tooth projecting posteriorly. Basis of pereiopod 7 narrow on its distal half; posterior border proximally slightly convex and distally either slightly concave, or deeply concave or deeply angularly notched; the posterior border of the basis of pereiopod 7 can be terminated into a small tooth projecting posteriorly or not. Dactylus of pereiopods 5 – 7 short. Body length The maximum body length recorded in Hoplepimeria subgen. nov. species ranges between 35 and 80 mm.
description
urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: A 5102 FE 5 - 2 D 1 C- 4365 - BFE 8 - D 5163 A 0748 D 1
discussion
Remarks Hoplepimeria subgen. nov. includes species with diverse body shapes. Most species are globular with only low teeth or crests, whilst E. rubrieques is one of the Epimeria with the longest teeth. However, E. rubrieques has the same robust and distally expanded gnathopods as in other Hoplepimeria subgen. nov. and has the same proximally toothed basis of pereiopods 5 – 6 as in many other Hoplepimeria subgen. nov. The absence of dorsolateral teeth, and the non- or scarcely laterally flattened dorsal processes of E. rubrieques distinguishes it at first glance from the dentate Antarctic Epimeria of the subgenus Drakepimeria subgen. nov. Hoplepimeria subgen. nov. includes the largest known Epimeria species, namely E. gargantua sp. nov., which can reach up to 80 mm.
distribution
Distribution Circum-Antarctic, as far north as the South Georgia.
etymology
Etymology Combination of the Greek word οπλα, armour and Epimeria. The name, which is feminine, alludes to the thick and heavily calcified teguments of the members of that subgenus.
type_taxon
Type species Epimeria quasimodo sp. nov.