Zootaxa, Ringanui (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Paraleptamphopidae)

Zootaxa, Ringanui (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Paraleptamphopidae)

Zootaxa 1148: 1–25 (2006) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA 1148 Copyright © 2006 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Ringanui, a new genus of stygobitic amphipod from New Zealand (Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Paraleptamphopidae) GRAHAM D. FENWICK National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, P.O. Box 8602, Christchurch, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract A new genus is established for two new species of paraleptamphopid amphipods. Both species are stygobites inhabiting alluvial aquifers up to at least 18 m beneath the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand. First collected by Charles Chilton in 1882, these two species became confused with Paraleptamphopus subterraneus. The new genus, Ringanui, is a significant step in resolving this confusion. Ringanui differs from Paraleptamphopus on several characters and is most easily recognised by diverse gnathopods, the first of which is enlarged relative to gnathopod 2. The two species are described and illustrated in detail. They differ in size and gnathopod characteristics, but other differences are small. Ringanui koonuiroa is the smaller species and is most easily recognised by the single, very long robust seta defining the palm of gnathopod 1. The second species, R. toonuiiti, is the larger, but its palmar defining spine is relatively short. Both species occur together at the same locations and apparently in the same habitat. Key words: Crustacea, Groundwater, new genus Introduction Groundwater amphipods from New Zealand intrigued the international scientific community when first described by Charles Chilton in 1882 (a, b). Amongst the first three species described was Chilton’s Calliope subterranea Chilton, 1882. Chilton re-described the species in considerable detail in his 1894 monograph and subsequently reported it from numerous locations within the South and North Islands of New Zealand. The species was placed in the new genus Paraleptamphopus by Stebbing (1899) and it, including the darkly pigmented epigean P. caeruleus Thomson, 1885, has been reported quite widely in New Zealand by freshwater biologists (e.g. Chapman & Lewis 1976). At a taxonomic level, however, the genus and family Paraleptamphopidae Bousfield, 1983 remain poorly understood. Accepted by N. Bruce: 22 Dec. 2005; published: 10 Mar. 2006 1.

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    1 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us