Confirmation of Caprella scauroides Mayer, 1903 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from New Zealand, using integrative techniques.

The presence of caprellid amphipod, Caprella scauroides is confirmed for the first time from New Zealand waters through two separate sample submissions received by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Marine Invasives Taxonomic Service (MITS) during May 2017, both from Okahu Bay, Waitemata Harbour, from swing mooring ropes. A subsequent report (November 2017) recorded the species from the Whangarei Harbour Marine High Risk Site Surveillance (MHRSS) survey. Caprella scauroides, non-indigenous to New Zealand, is morphologically similar and closely related to the known invasive, Caprella californica, with which it is often confused. Caprella scauroides from New Zealand is described in detail using both morphological and molecular methods.

A new species of sponge-dwelling amphipod, Polycheria spongoteras sp. nov., from Spirits Bay, Northland, New Zealand.

A new species of the often-cryptic genus Polycheria (Crustacea; Amphipoda) was discovered living in a small specimen of the sponge, Homaxinella erecta (Brøndsted, 1924) (Demospongiae, Suberitida, Suberitidae), in Spirits Bay, on the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. Polycheria spongoteras sp. nov. is described using integrative techniques (morphologically, molecularly and ecologically), with discussions on the New Zealand records of the genus and related taxa. The host sponge is redescribed and placed in the Spirits Bay context. [Zooban URL: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FB60B77B-6B98-4102-A41F-D980B03204EB].

Bait-attending amphipods of the Tonga Trench and depth-stratified population structure in the scavenging amphipod Hirondellea dubia Dahl, 1959.

BACKGROUND: The hadal zone encompasses the deepest parts of the world's ocean trenches from depths of ∼6,000-11,000 m. The communities observed at these depths are dominated by scavenging amphipods that rapidly intercept and consume carrion as it falls to the deepest parts of the trenches. New samples collected in the Tonga Trench provide an opportunity to compare the amphipod assemblages and the population structure of a dominant species, Hirondellea dubia Dahl, 1959, between trenches and with earlier data presented for the Tonga Trench, and other trenches in the South Pacific. METHODS: Over 3,600 individual scavenging amphipods across 10 species were collected in seven baited traps at two sites; in the Horizon Deep site, the deepest part of the Tonga Trench (10,800 m) and a site directly up-slope at the trench edge (6,250 m). The composition of the bait-attending amphipods is described and a morphometric analysis of H. dubia examines the bathymetric distribution of the different life stages encountered. RESULTS: The amphipod assemblage was more diverse than previously reported, seven species were recorded for the first time from the Tonga Trench. The species diversity was highest at the shallower depth, with H. dubia the only species captured at the deepest site. At the same time, the abundance of amphipods collected at 10,800 m was around sevenfold higher than at the shallower site. H. dubia showed clear ontogenetic vertical structuring, with juveniles dominant at the shallow site and adults dominant at the deep site. The amphipods of the deeper site were always larger at comparable life stage. DISCUSSION: The numbers of species encountered in the Tonga Trench is less than reported from the New Hebrides and Kermadec trenches, and six species encountered are shared across trenches. These findings support the previous suggestion that the fauna of the New Hebrides, Tonga and Kermadec Trenches may represent a single biogeographic province. The ontogenetic shift in H. dubia between the two Tonga Trench sites supports the hypothesis of interspecific competition at the shallower bathymetric range of the species, and the presence of competitive physiological advantages that allow the adults at the trench axis to exploit the more labile organic material that reaches the bottom of the trench.

Antarctic and New Zealand Byblisoides (Amphipoda: Ampeliscidae) with a key to the world species.

The family Ampeliscidae is a species diverse family ranging from shallow waters to over 4000 m depth. Within this family, however, one genus, Byblisoides has few species and is generally found in deep water. The conservative morphology of other species of Byblisoides is also evident in the new species described here. This study extends the known species composition of the genus from seven species to nine. A key to world species is updated.

Ampeliscidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from the IceAGE expeditions.

Ampeliscidae has been recorded extensively from Icelandic waters by many detailed reports. Material collected from the IceAGE (Icelandic marine animals: Genetics and Ecology) 1 and 2 expeditions has resulted in a reasonably expected collection of ampeliscid amphipod species and distributions. However, as seems to be the trend in amphipod systematics, there are ever-present species complexes. Resulting from this, two species new to the genus Haploops are presented. Additionally, a new species and new record and key of the genus Byblisoides is also presented.

Ampithoidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from New Zealand.

Ampithoidae is a family of marine Amphipoda with approximately 230 species, belonging to 16 genera. The family has a worldwide distribution as algal dwellers. So far only five species are known from New Zealand. Recent collections and examination of historic collection material added two new species, which are described herein. An overview of and a key to the New Zealand Ampithoidae is provided.

Analysis of the genus Sunamphitoe Spence Bate, 1857 (Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of eight new species.

Sunamphitoe Spence Bate, 1857 is one of several ampithoid amphipod genera to be reasonably specific to its algal host. Sunamphitoe was recently shown to be a senior synonym of Peramphithoe Conlan & Bousfield, 1982 by both morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses that included selected exemplars of both putative genera. Phylogenetic analysis considering all species of Sunamphitoe herein corroborates the validity of this synonymy and also delineates several morphological groups within the genus. Eight new species are descibed herein, Sunamphitoe angrox sp. nov., S. batavia sp. nov., S. dampierensis sp. nov., S. jonathani sp. nov., S. lehae sp. nov., S. mixtura sp. nov., S. naturaliste sp. nov., and S. stevesmithi sp. nov., all from Australia and New Zealand; the status of the problematic New Zealand species, Sunamphitoe aorangi is resolved.

Three new species of Exampithoe from Australia and New Zealand (Ampithoidae: Amphipoda: Crustacea).

Three new species of Exampithoe are described from Australia and New Zealand. Material described here corroborates the peculiar mandibular palp variability, with either a two- or three- articulate palp reported for species within the genus Exampithoe compared to the absence of the mandibular palp in Melanesius. The Exampthoinae remain a Southern Hemisphere subfamily with nine described species.

New species and new records of Ampithoidae (Peracarida: Amphipoda) from Australian Waters.

Forty-eight species from the algal dwelling family Ampithoidae are recorded from five genera Ampithoe, Cymadusa, Paragrubia, Peramphithoe, and Plumithoe. New distribution records are provided for 18 species including five new records from Australian waters and an additional 18 new species are described. Twenty-two Ampithoe, 23 Cymadusa, six Paragrubia, two Peramphithoe, and one Plumithoe species are now known from Australian waters. The generic concepts of both Cymadusa and Paragrubia are revised to accommodate the new species diversity within the Ampithoidae. The new species are: Ampithoe mantissa; A. prolata; Cymadusa botulus; C. drummondae; C. euclidius; C. hadros; C. hallex; C. hentyana; C. jubata; C. lumanus; C. platys; C. priscileo; Paragrubia apoorei; P. cassini; P. dongara; P. dwyeri; P. springthorpei and Peramphithoe bungareei.