• Melita Leach, W.E. 1814. Crustaceology. pp. 383-437 in Brewster, D. Sir (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. Edinburgh : John Murray Baldwin & Cradocle Vol. 7 (2). [403].

  Type species:

   Cancer palmatus Montagu, 1804 by monotypy.
• Boscia Leach, W.E. 1814. Crustaceology. pp. 383-437 in Brewster, D. Sir (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. Edinburgh : John Murray Baldwin & Cradocle Vol. 7 (2). [435] [nom. nud.].
• Caliniphargus Stout, V.R. 1913. Studies in Laguna Amphipoda. II. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 34: 633-659 [640].

  Type species:

   Caliniphargus sulcus Stout, 1913 by monotypy.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Barnard, J.L. & Barnard, C.M. 1983. Freshwater Amphipoda of the World. I. Evolutionary Patterns. II. Handbook and Bibliography. Virginia : Hayfield Associates 830 pp. [663]
• Jarrett, N.E. & Bousfield, E.L. 1996. The amphipod superfamily Hadzioidea on the Pacific coast of North America: Family Melitidae. Part 1. The Melita group: systematics and distributional ecology. Amphipacifica 2(2): 3-74

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Cosmopolitan.

IMCRA

Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Bass Strait, Central E coast, Lower E coast, Lower W coast, S Gulfs coast, SW coast
  • New South Wales: Lower E coast, SE coastal
  • Queensland: Great Barrier Reef, NE coast
• Fiji
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand

Oriental Region

• Sri Lanka

Distribution References

History of changes

• Maera festiva Chilton, C. 1885. Notes on a few Australian Edriophthalmata. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 9(4): 1035-1044 pls 46-47 [1037, pl. 46 figs a-c].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) CMNZ 2 specimens, on 2 micro slides (Specimens catalogued but currently missing), Port Jackson (as Sydney Harbour), NSW; CMNZ 2015.149.154–155 1 male, 1 female, both wet specimens in alcohol (Specimens labelled as "cotypes"), Sydney Harbour, NSW [Lat/Long not provided].

  Secondary source:

   Springthorpe, R.T. 2023. Melita lowryi, a new species of Melitidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata) from New Zealand, and the redescription of Melita festiva (Chilton, 1885) from Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 75(4): 547–558.

Generic Combinations

• Melita festiva (Chilton, 1885). —
  Chilton, C. 1916. Some Australian and New Zealand Gammaridae. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 48: 359-370 [359, figs. 1-2]

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

New Zealand.

IMCRA

Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Continental shelf, littoral, marine, sublittoral.

Extra Ecological Information

Soft bottom, under stones.

General References

Barnard, J.L. 1972. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Algae-living littoral Gammaridea (Crustacea Amphipoda). Memoirs of the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute 62: 1-216

History of changes

• Melita matilda Barnard, J.L. 1972. Gammaridean Amphipoda of Australia, Part I. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 103: i-vi 1-333 [231, figs 136, 137].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 225–68 ♂, Matilda Bay, Swan River, WA.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Western Australia

IMCRA

Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Central E coast, Lower E coast, Lower W coast

Ecological Descriptors

Estuary.

Extra Ecological Information

Dead clams, algae and sediment.

General References

Jones, A.R. 1987. Temporal patterns in the macobenthic communities of the Hawkesbury Estuary, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 38: 607-624

Jones, A.R., Watson-Russell, C.J. & Murray, A. 1986. Spatial patterns in the macrobenthic communities of the Hawkesbury Estuary, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 37: 521-543

History of changes

• Melita myersi Karaman, G.S. 1987. A new species of the genus Melita Leach (fam. Melitidae) from Bermuda and Fiji Islands. Contribution to the Knowledge of the Amphipoda 173. Bulletin du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Belgrade, Series B 42: 19-35 [30].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P35372 male, 5 mm, Mangroves, Lucala Island, Fiji [~18°10'S 178°30'E].

Distribution

States

Queensland

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: Great Barrier Reef, NE coast
• Fiji
• New Caledonia

Ecological Descriptors

Estuary, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

Littoral (0 to 30 m), among mangroves.

General References

Lowry, J.K. & Springthorpe, R.T. 2009. Melitidae, the Melita group. pp. 718-735 in Lowry, J.K. & Myers, A.A. (eds). Benthic Amphipoda (Crustacea: Peracarida) of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa 2260: 1-930 [723, figs. 4, 5]

History of changes

• Melita oba Barnard, J.L. 1972. Gammaridean Amphipoda of Australia, Part I. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 103: i-vi 1-333 [231, figs 137 (part), 138].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 213–68 ♂, west of Bunker Bay, Cape Naturaliste, WA.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IMCRA

Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Lower W coast, SW coast

Ecological Descriptors

Littoral, marine, sublittoral.

Extra Ecological Information

Algae.

History of changes

• Melita ophiocola Lowry, J.K. & Springthorpe, R.T. 2005. New and little-known melitid amphipods from Australian waters (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Melitidae). Records of the Australian Museum 57(2): 237-302 [294, figs 58-61].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P55192 ♀ 9.6 mm, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E].
  Paratype(s) AM P46263 ♂; AM P46264 ♀; AM P25456 8 specimens; AM P55193 1 specimen; AM P55194 1 specimen; AM P55199 4 specimens; AM P55200 9 specimens; AM P55195 27 specimens; AM P55196 5 specimens; AM P55197 4 specimens, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55198 1 specimen, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55236 2 specimens, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55241 18 specimens, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55242 18 specimens, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55245 11 specimens, west side, Bottle and Glass Rocks, Port Jackson, NSW [33°50.9'S 151°16.15'E]; AM P55240 3 specimens, south of Vaucluse Point, Port Jackson, NSW [33°52'S 151°17'E].

Distribution

States

New South Wales

IMCRA

Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Lower E coast

Ecological Descriptors

Marine.

Extra Ecological Information

Littoral (0 to 30 m), 4 m, under rock on coarse sand shell bottoms. Living in the ambulacral groove of the ophiuroid Ophionereis schayeri (Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005) and probably feeding on Ophionereis schayeri food bolus (Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005).

History of changes

• Melita plumulosa Zeidler, W. 1989. A new species of Melita (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae) from northern New South Wales with a note on the genus Abludomelita Karaman, 1981. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 110(4): 327-338 [329, figs 1-5].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P37289 ♂, The Blue Pools, Angourie, NSW.
  Paratype(s) AM P37290 1♀; SAMA C4076 11 specimens.

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Lentic freshwater, littoral.

History of changes

• Melita sampsonae Lowry, J.K. & Springthorpe, R.T. 2009. Melitidae, the Melita group. pp. 718-735 in Lowry, J.K. & Myers, A.A. (eds). Benthic Amphipoda (Crustacea: Peracarida) of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa 2260: 1-930 [726, figs. 6, 7].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM P77779 ♂ 4.2 mm, Mermaid Cove, Lizard Island, QLD [14°38.90'S 145°27.26'E].
  Paratype(s) AM P77780 ♀ ovigerous, 3.4 mm; AM P77781 ♂ 4.8 mm.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Queensland: Great Barrier Reef, NE coast

Ecological Descriptors

Brackish water, intertidal.

Extra Ecological Information

Littoral (0 to 30 m).

History of changes

• Melita zeylanica Stebbing, T.R.R. 1904. Gregarious Crustacea of Ceylon. Spolia Zeylanica 2(5): 1-29 [22, pl. 5].

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Barnard, J.L. 1972. Gammaridean Amphipoda of Australia, Part I. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 103: i-vi 1-333

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Oriental Region–Sri Lanka.

IMCRA

Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Bass Strait, Lower E coast, Lower W coast, S Gulfs coast, SW coast

Oriental Region

• Sri Lanka

Details of nominate subspecies, not present in Australia

Melita zeylanica zeylanica Stebbing, 1904

Melita zeylanica Stebbing, T.R.R. 1904. Gregarious Crustacea from Ceylon. Spolia Zeylanica 2(5): 1–29 [22, pl. 5].
Type data: syntypes whereabouts unknown.
Type locality: Lake Negombo, Sri Lanka [as Ceylon].

History of changes

• Melita zeylanica kauerti Barnard, J.L. 1972. Gammaridean Amphipoda of Australia, Part I. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 103: i-vi 1-333 [235, figs 139-141].

  Type data:

   Holotype WAM 189–70 ♂, Middle Swan Bridge, Swan River, Perth, WA.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

IMCRA

Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Bass Strait, Lower E coast, Lower W coast, S Gulfs coast, SW coast

Ecological Descriptors

Estuary, marine.

General References

Kangas, M.I. & Geddes, M.C. 1984. The effects of salinity on the distribution of amphipods in the Coorong, South Australia, in relation to their salinity tolerance. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 108(3/4): 139-146

History of changes