Family PODOCERIDAE Leach, 1814

Podocerus variegatus, a non-Australian species.

© Copyright from Barnard & Karaman 1991: fig. 118.

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Introduction

Podocerid amphipods belong to the corophioid group, on the basis that they have a fleshy telson. Apparently most taxa have lost the glandular basis of pereopods 3 and 4. Laubitz (1983) revised the podocerid amphipods and recognised three subfamilies. A key to all genera can be found in Barnard & Karaman (1991).

Diagnosis

Head longer than deep; anteroventral margin weakly, moderately or strongly recessed and deeply or shallowly excavate; rostrum short, long or absent; eyes well developed (round or ovoid), obsolescent or absent. Body cylindrical or subcylindrical; smooth or processiferous and dorsally carinate; with sparse slender setae or without setae. Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2; article 2 shorter than or subequal to article 3; article 3 longer than article 1; accessory flagellum present or absent; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore absent. Antenna 2 medium length or long; flagellum shorter than peduncle; less than or more than 5-articulate. Mandible incisor dentate; lacinia mobilis present on both sides; molar fully triturating. Maxilla 1 inner plate strongly setose along medial margin, weakly setose apically or without setae. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates small. Coxae 1–4 longer than broad, as long as broad or broader than long, discontiguous, ventrally acuminate or not; coxa 1 anteroventrally acuminate or not. Gnathopod 1 sexually dimorphic or not; smaller (or weaker) than or subequal to gnathopod 2; simple or subchelate; coxa smaller, subequal to, or larger than coxa 2; carpus subequal to, or longer than propodus. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic or not; simple or subchelate; coxa smaller than or subequal to but not hidden by coxa 3; ischium short; carpus short or long, shorter than, subequal to, or longer than propodus. Pereopods some, all or none prehensile; 3–4 with or without glandular basis. Pereopod 3 coxa broader than long; carpus shorter than, subequal to, or longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa smaller than or subequal to coxa 3, without posteroventral lobe; carpus shorter than, subequal to, or longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 shorter than or subequal to pereopod 6; coxa smaller than, subequal to, or larger than coxa 4, without posterior lobe; basis linear, subrectangular, without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 shorter than or subequal to pereopod 7; basis expanded, slightly expanded or linear. Pereopod 7 subequal to, or longer than pereopod 5; basis expanded, slightly expanded or linear; subrectangular. Urosome dorsoventrally flattened; urosomites 1–3 free or 1 and 2 free, urosomite 3 absent or 1 free, 2 and 3 coalesced; urosomite 1 much longer than urosomite 2. Uropods 1–3 radically dissimilar in structure and size. 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 peduncle short or vestigial; rami absent. Telson thickened dorsoventrally; entire; longer than broad, as long as broad or broader than long; dorsal and 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

Hughes, L.E. 2013. Podoceridae of Tropical Australia (Peracarida: Amphipoda). Records of the Australian Museum 65(1): 1-37

Laubitz, D.R. 1983. A revision of the family Podoceridae (Amphipoda, Gammaridea). pp. 77-86 in Lowry, J.K. Papers from the Conference on the Biology and Evolution of Crustacea. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 18: 1-218

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

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