Genus Austrodecus Hodgson, 1907

Museums

Regional Maps

• Austrodecus Hodgson, T.V. 1907. Pycnogonida. National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904. Reports of the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904, Natural History. 3. 1-72 pp. [52].

  Type species:

   Austrodecus glaciale Hodgson, 1907 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Central Eastern Transition (15), Kenn Transition (16), Kenn Province (17), Northeast Province (18), Northeast Transition (19), Cape Province (20), Norfolk Island Province (21), Macquarie Island Province (24), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Southwest Transition (7), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)

Other Regions

Australian Antarctic Territory

Diagnosis

Species tiny, trunk segmented, with or without median tubercles, lateral processes very short, sometimes with tubercles; ocular tubercle tall, anterior-pointing, truncate cone with eyes at tip; proboscis a down-curved pipette with annulations; chelifores lacking; palps 5-6-segmented arising from anterolateral projections of cephalic segment, distal segments sometimes coalesced; ovigers reduced or tiny, not functional, no terminal claw; legs slender, coxae with or without tubercles, propodus usually longer than tibia 2, no heel, claw short, with or without auxiliaries. cement gland outlet a ventral cone or tube.

Taxonomic Notes

The genus Austrodecus does not fit comfortably within the Platypus database format at this time. Like so many of the other pycnogonid genera, it is badly in need of extensive revision. Currently, Austrodecus has two valid subgenera (Microdecus and Tubidecus) and four Sections (equivalent to subgenera?). In each case, the Sections are named for a representative species: A. glaciale Section, A. breviceps Section, A. tristanense Section, and A. gordonae Section. An additional three species (none from the Australian region) are placed into a Section Unknown category (Child,1994, p. 51).

History of changes