Family AMARYLLIDIDAE Lowry & Stoddart, 2002

Amaryllis olinda Lowry & Stoddart, 2002

© Copyright from Lowry & Stoddart 2002: fig. 28

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Amaryllididae are a post-Gondwanan group of shallow- to deep-water, amphipods with rare incursions into the deep-water of the North Atlantic Ocean. Five of the eight genera recognised by Lowry and Stoddart (2002a) are represented in Australian waters. Members of the subfamily Amaryllidinae have a conical mouthpart bundle and species such as Amaryllis philatelica, which are often associated with softcorals, may feed on polyps. Members of the Vijayinae have a subquadrate mouthpart bundle with no special adaptations. Amaryllidids are most diverse in Australian waters, but this may indicate a lack of taxonomic work in other areas. Due to delays in publication, what was intended to be the original description of this family (Lowry & Stoddart 2002b) did not appear before the monograph of the Australian fauna (Lowry & Stoddart 2002a) was published. The family name is therefore formally established in Lowry and Stoddart (2002a).

Diagnosis

Head much deeper than long; rostrum short, moderate or long; eyes well developed (reniform or ventrally tapered), obsolescent or absent. Body laterally compressed; smooth. Antenna 1 shorter than or subequal to antenna 2; peduncular article 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore present or absent. Antenna 2 short or longer than body; flagellum longer than peduncle; 5- or more articulate; calceoli present or absent. Mandible incisor smooth; lacinia mobilis present on left side only; accessory setal row with distal tuft; molar non-triturating, a broad setose flap. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically; palp absent. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates large. Coxa 1 vestigial, coxae 2-4 longer than broad, overlapping. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; subequal to gnathopod 2; simple; coxa vestigial, hidden or partially hidden by coxa 2; carpus shorter than propodus. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; subchelate; coxa subequal to but not hidden by coxa 3; ischium long; carpus long, longer than propodus. Pereopod 3 coxa longer than broad; carpus shorter than propodus, produced anteriorly. Pereopod 4 coxa larger than coxa 3, with well developed posteroventral lobe; carpus shorter than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 subequal to pereopod 6; coxa smaller than coxa 4, with slight posterior lobe; basis expanded, slightly expanded or linear, subrectangular, subovate or subquadrate, with or without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 subequal to pereopod 7; basis expanded. Pereopod 7 subequal to pereopod 5; basis expanded. Urosomite 1 much longer than urosomite 2. Uropods 1-2 apices of rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short or long; rami lanceolate or clasper-like; outer ramus longer than peduncle; inner ramus not apically setose. Telson laminar; moderately or weakly cleft; longer than broad or as long as broad; dorsal and apical robust setae absent.

General References

Lowry, J.K. & Stoddart, H.E. 2002a. The Amaryllididae of Australia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea). Records of the Australian Museum 54: 129-214

Lowry, J.K. & Stoddart, H.E. 2002b. First records of lysianassoid amphipods (Crustacea) from the Andaman Sea. pp. 165-188 in Bruce, N.L., Berggren, M. & Bussawarit, S. (eds). Biodiversity of Crustacea of the Andaman Sea. Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Biodiversity of Crustacea in the Andaman Sea, Phuket Marine Biological Center, 29 November–20 December 1998. Phuket Marine Biological Center Special Publication 23(1): 1-532

History of changes