Vibilia stebbingi Behning & Woltereck 1912
- Dataset
- A review of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Vibilioidea Bowman and Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea)
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Malacostraca
- order
- Amphipoda
- family
- Vibiliidae
- genus
- Vibilia
- species
- Vibilia stebbingi
distribution
Distribution This is a relatively uncommon, but widely distributed species in tropical and subtropical waters including the Mediterranean Sea. However, it was relatively common and abundant in collections from off the east coast of South Africa (SAM).
materials_examined
Type material Four syntypes of V. stebbingi are in the ZMB (unregistered). Behning and Woltereck (1912) do not specify a holotype. They record six specimens from the midAtlantic, from Valdivia Stns 48 b (0 º 9 ’ S, 8 º 30 ’ W), 49 (0 º 20 ’ N, 6 º 45 ’ W), 54 (1 º 51 ’ N, 0 º 31 ’ E) and 55 (2 º 37 ’ N, 3 º 38 ’ E). The figured female is from Stn. 54. Material examined (> 300 specimens) Types. Four syntypes of V. stebbingi from Valdivia Stns 48 b, 54 and 55: all in spirit, the one from Stn. 54 with head missing. Other material examined. Tasman Sea: 7 lots (SAMA), 11 specimens. North Atlantic: 5 lots (BMNH), 13 lots (CMN), 3 lots (USNM), 7 lots (ZMB), 3 lots (ZMUC), 48 specimens. South Atlantic: 1 lot (BMNH), 28 lots (SAM), numerous specimens. North Pacific: 1 lot (LACM), 3 lots (USNM), 10 specimens. South Pacific: 2 lots (BMNH), 23 specimens. South Indian: 1 lot (BMNH), 63 lots (SAM), 10 lots (SAMA), 174 specimens. Central IndoPacific: 1 lot (USNM), 1 specimen. Gulf of Eilat: 1 lot (ZMB), 1 specimen. Diagnosis Body length up to 5 – 6 mm. Antennae 1 length slightly shorter than head and first three pereonites; flagellum with more or less parallel margins, obliquely truncate ventrally for distal third (broader and longer in males). Gnathopod 2; carpal process about halflength propodus (or marginally more). Pereopods 3 & 4; dactylus length about half propodus. Pereopods 5 & 6; dactylus length about 0.3 x propodus. Pereopod 7; basis rectangular, width about half length, slightly longer than ischium to carpus combined, with small, sharp anterodistal lobe and narrow, rounded posterodistal lobe overlapping ischium and about half of merus. Lateral corners of last urosomite not produced. Uropod 3; peduncle distinctly longer than rami; sexual dimorphism of endopod not evident. Telson triangular, pointed, length about half peduncle of U 3. Remarks This is a very small species of Vibilia. Its similarity to V. antarctica and V. propinqua has already been discussed under those species. It is also similar to V. viatrix, but in that species the carpal process of gnathopod is as long as the propodus, pereopods 3 and 4 have relatively thicker articles and a longer dactylus, and the basis of pereopod 7 is without an anterodistal lobe. Apart from its small size and short carpal process of gnathopod 2, the most readily distinguishing character for V. stebbingi seems to be the shape of the basis of pereopod 7. In no other congener, except perhaps for V. australis, is the anterodistal corner as well developed, overlapping the ischium.