Family AMPITHOIDAE Boeck, 1871
Cymadusa munnu Poore & Lowry, 1997
© Copyright from Poore & Lowry 1997: fig. 14
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Regional Maps
Family AMPITHOIDAE Boeck, 1871
Compiler and date details
James K. Lowry
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Sotka, E.E., Bell, T., Hughes, L.E., Lowry, J.K. & Poore, A.G.B. 2017. A molecular phylogeny of marine amphipods in the herbivorous family Ampithoidae. Zoologica Scripta 46(1): 85–95 [Date published January 2017] [88]
Introduction
Ampithoid amphipods belong to the corophioid group, characterised by a fleshy telson. Conlan (1982) revised the ampithoid amphipods and recognised 12 genera based on a phenetic analysis. Barnard and Karaman (1991) also recognised 12 genera, but they synonymised Pleonexes with Ampithoe and described Plumithoe; their key indicated several more possible genera.
Ampithoids are cosmopolitan amphipods that live and actively feed on algae and seagrasses. Conlan (1982) summarised the domicolous behaviour of ampithoids. Freewater and Lowry (1994) documented nest-building in Sunamphitoe for the first time. Brawley (1992) documented ampithoids as herbivores and Edgar (1983a, 1983b, 1990) and Nelson (1979) studied their abundance and distribution on algae and seagrasses. There is a strong correlation between algae as a habitat for ampithoids and their shallow depth range.
Barnard and Karaman (1991) reported 96 species of ampithoids. Currently, 97 species are recorded from Australia. Recent studies include those of Just (2000, 2002), Myers and Lowry (2003), Peart (2004, 2006, 2007a,b), Hughes and Lowry (2009), Hughes and Peart (2013), Peart (2017a,b). A key to all genera is presented in Peart and Ahyong (2016).
Diagnosis
Head as long as deep, longer than deep or deeper than long; rostrum short or absent; eyes well developed (round), obsolescent or absent. Body laterally compressed; smooth. Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than 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; accessory flagellum present or absent; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore absent. Antenna 2 short or medium length; flagellum shorter than, as long as or longer than peduncle; 5- or more articulate. Mandible incisor dentate; lacinia mobilis present on both sides; molar fully triturating or absent; palp present or absent. Labium notched. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically or without setae; palp large, reduced or absent, 1- or 2-articulate. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates large or small. Coxae 1–4 longer than broad or broader than long, overlapping or discontiguous, coxa 1 anteroventrally acuminate or not. Gnathopod 1 sexually dimorphic or not; smaller (or weaker) than, subequal to, or larger (or stouter) than gnathopod 2; weakly or strongly subchelate or parachelate; coxa smaller than, subequal to, or larger than coxa 2; carpus shorter than or subequal to propodus, slightly produced or not produced along posterior margin of propodus. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic or not; subchelate or chelate; coxa smaller than, subequal to, or larger than but not hidden by, coxa 3; ischium short; carpus short or long, shorter than or subequal to propodus, strongly, slightly or not produced along posterior margin of propodus. Pereopods some, all or none prehensile; 3–4 with glandular basis. Pereopod 3 coxa longer than broad; carpus shorter than or subequal to propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa subequal to coxa 3, without posteroventral lobe; carpus shorter than or subequal to propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 shorter than pereopod 6; coxa subequal to, or larger than coxa 4, with or without posterodorsal lobe; basis expanded or slightly expanded, subrectangular or subovate, without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 shorter than or subequal to pereopod 7; basis expanded or slightly expanded. Pereopod 7 longer than pereopod 5; basis expanded or slightly expanded, subrectangular or subovate. Urosomite 1 subequal to, or longer than urosomite 2. Uropods 1–2 apices of rami with robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with or without ventromedial spur. Uropod 2 peduncle with or without ventromedial spur. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short or long; rami styliform or linguiform; outer ramus shorter than peduncle; inner ramus apically setose. Telson thickened dorsoventrally; entire; as long as broad or broader than long; dorsal robust setae absent; apical robust setae present or absent.
General References
Barnard, J.L. & Karaman, G.S. 1991. The families and genera of marine gammaridean Amphipoda (except marine gammaroids). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 13: 1-866
Boeck, A. 1871. Crustacea Amphipoda Borealia et Arctica. Bulletin of the Mauritius Institute 1870: 81-280 i-viii
Brawley, S.H. 1992. Mesoherbivores. pp. 235-263 in John, D.M., Hawkins, S.J. & Price, J.H. (eds). Plant-Animal Interactions in the Marine Benthos. Oxford : Clarendon Press.
Conlan, K.E. 1982. Revision of the gammaridean amphipod family Ampithoidae using numerical analytical methods. Canadian Journal of Zoology 60(8): 2015-2027
Edgar, G.J. 1983a. The ecology of south-eastern Tasmanian phytal animal communities. I. Spatial organisation on a local scale. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 70: 129-157
Edgar, G.J. 1983b. The ecology of south-eastern Tasmanian phytal animal communities. IV. Factors affecting the distribution of amphithoid amphipods among algae. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 70: 205-225
Edgar, G.J. 1990. Population regulation, population dynamics and competition amongst mobile epifauna associated with seagrass. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 144: 205-234
Freewater, P. & Lowry, J.K. 1994. Sunamphitoe graxon sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae): first record of the genus in Australian waters. Invertebrate Taxonomy 8: 675-682
Hughes, L.E. & Lowry, J.K. 2009. Ampithoidae. pp. 153-219 in Lowry, J.K. & Myers, A.A. (eds). Benthic Amphipoda (Crustacea: Peracarida) of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa 2260: 1-930
Hughes, L.E. & Peart, R.A. 2013. New species and new records of Ampithoidae (Peracarida: Amphipoda) from Australian Waters. Zootaxa 3719(1): 1-102
Just, J. 2000. Two new species of Exampithoe Barnard, 1925, subgenus Melanesius Ledoyer, 1984 from southern Australia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae). Records of the Australian Museum 52: 129-136
Just J. 2002. Review of Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982, with a new species from Australia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae). Records of the Australian Museum 54(1): 31-40
Myers, A.A. & Lowry, J.K. 2003. A phylogeny and a new classification of the Corophiidea Leach, 1814 (Amphipoda). Journal of Crustacean Biology 23(2): 443-485
Nelson, W.G. 1979. An analysis of structural pattern in an eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) amphipod community. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 39: 231-264
Peart, R.A. 2007. A review of Australian Cymadusa (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of eight new species. Zootaxa 1540: 1-53
Peart, R.A. 2007. A review of the Australian species of Ampithoe Leach, 1814 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of seventeen new species. Zootaxa 1566: 1-95
Peart, R.A. 2017. Analysis of the genus Sunamphitoe Spence Bate, 1857 (Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of eight new species. Zootaxa 4269(3): 301–345 [Date published 23 May 2017]
Peart, R.A. & Ahyong, S.T. 2016. Phylogenetic analysis of the family Ampithoidae Stebbing, 1899 (Crustacea: Amphipoda), with a synopsis of the genera. Journal of Crustacean Biology 36(4): 456–474 [Date published June 2016]
Peart, Rachael A. 2017. A synopsis and key to the genus Exampithoe K.H. Barnard, 1925 (Amphipoda: Senticaudata: Ampithoidae), with descriptions of five new species. Journal of Crustacean Biology 37(1): 63–75 [Date published January 2017]
Peart R.A. 2004. A revision of the Cymadusa filosa complex (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Corophioidea: Ampithoidae). Journal of Natural History 38(3): 301-336
Peart R.A. 2006. A revision of Pseudopleonexes Conlan, 1982 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with description of three new species from Australia. Zootaxa 1344: 1-22
Poore, A.G.B. & Lowry, J.K. 1997. New ampithoid amphipods from Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Ampithoidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 11: 897-941
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Aug-2022 | AMPHIPODA Latreille, 1816 | 25-Jul-2017 | MODIFIED | Dr Shane Ahyong |
| 05-Aug-2022 | AMPHIPODA | 06-Aug-2014 | MOVED | Dr Jim Lowry (AM) |
| 07-Jan-2014 | AMPITHOIDAE Boeck, 1871 | 07-Jan-2014 | REVIEWED | Lyn Randall |
| 05-Aug-2022 | AMPHIPODA | 06-Feb-2013 | MOVED | Dr Jim Lowry (AM) |
| 05-Aug-2022 | 22-Nov-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 05-Aug-2022 | 16-Dec-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |