Alphasarsiella altrix Kornicker 1995

Alphasarsiella altrix

ETYMOLOGY.—From the Latin altrix (nourisher).

HOLOTYPE.—Adult female on slide and in alcohol in collection of the Museum of Victoria.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Slope 40, 38°17.70′S, 149°11.30′E, Victoria, S of Point Hicks, depth 400 m.

PARATYPES.—Slope 40: 4 undissected ovigerous females.

DISTRIBUTION.—Slope 40, 400 m.

DESCRIPTION OF ADULT FEMALE (Figures 51, 52).—Carapace in lateral view with minute anterior incisur, narrow high rostrum dorsal to incisur, projecting posteroventral caudal process, and large posterodorsal bulge (Figure 51a). Surface without gel-like coating.

Ornamentation: Surface with abundant short stout pointed spines longer along outer margin and absent at bottoms of round surface fossae (Figure 51b,c); 2 indistinct low spine-covered ribs extend anteriorly from area of adductor muscle attachments (Figure 51a,b). Long bristles with broad bases sparsely distributed on valve surface; long and short bristles, some with broad part in proximal third, numerous along valve margins (Figure 51d).

Infold: Anterior infold with small bristle near inner margin ventral to incisur (Figure 51d). Infold of caudal process with a few small bristles along inner edge of infold, and row of 9 broad spinous bristles along list (row extends from dorsal to ventral edge of caudal process) (Figure 51e).

Central Adductor Muscle Attachments (Figure 51f): Comprising about 17 ovoid attachments.

Carapace Size (length, including caudal process, height in mm): Slope 40: holotype, 0.96, 0.78; 4 unnumbered paratypes: 0.96, 0.78; 0.91, 0.75; 0.98, 0.76; 0.90, 0.74.

First Antenna (Figure 51g): 1st joint bare. 2nd joint with rows of medial spines near ventral margin and 1 dorsal bristle with short spines. 3rd joint fused to 4th, with 2 spinous bristles (1 long ventral, 1 shorter dorsal). 4th joint with 3 spinous bristles (2 long ventral, 1 shorter dorsal). Long sensory bristle of 5th joint with 1 or 2 distal spines and terminal papilla. 6th joint fused to 5th, without medial bristle. 7th joint: a-bristle spinous; b-bristle longer than a-bristle, with minute terminal papilla; c-bristle about same length as sensory bristle, with minute proximal filament and 2 minute distal spines 8th joint: d- and e-bristles long bare with blunt tips; f- and g-bristles with minute filament at midlength. (Most spines and filaments of bristles of joints 5–8 not shown.)

Second Antenna: Protopodite bare. Endopodite 2-jointed (Figure 51h): 1st joint with 2 short bare proximal anterior ringed bristles; 2nd joint small, with very long terminal ringed bristle with short spines. Exopodite: 1st joint with minute, bare, tubular, terminal, medial bristle; bristle of 2nd joint with about 12 slender hair-like proximal ventral spines followed by natatory hairs; bristles of joints 3–8 with natatory hairs, no spines; 9th joint with 2 bristles (1 long ventral with natatory hairs, 1 short dorsal with short hairs); joints 2–8 with row of spines along distal edges.

Mandible (Figure 52a,b): Coxale endite represented by bifurcate process with few marginal spines; coxale with long hairs along ventral margin. Basale: ventral margin with 8 or 9 bristles (including 3 or 4 with bases on lateral side); dorsal margin with 1 small subterminal spine-like bristle. Exopodite well developed, with few spines and slender subterminal bristle. 1st endopodial joint with row of medial spines along distal edge, 1 small medial spine-like bristle at base of stout terminal ventral claw, and few small terminal spines on dorsal margin. 2nd endopodial joint with small subterminal spine-like dorsal bristle and stout ventral claw with a few minute proximal ventral teeth. 3rd endopodial joint with terminal claw and 2 small spine-like ventral bristles. Left limb of holotype aberrant in having stout dorsal bristle on 2nd endopodial joint, and on 3rd joint 1 medial as well as 1 ventral bristle at base of terminal claw (Figure 52b).

Maxilla: Protopodite with transparent thumb-like process (Figure 52e). Coxale with fairly long dorsal bristle. Endites I, II, and III with 5, 4, and 6 bristles, respectively (Figure 52d). Basale with short ventral bristle near exopodite. Exopodite with 3 unequal bristles. 1st endopodial joint with spinous alpha- and beta-bristles. 2nd endopodial joint with 2 spinous a-bristles, 1 shorter spinous c-bristle, and 5 pectinate end bristles.

Fifth Limb (Figure 51i): Single endite with 1 bare bristle. Exopodite: 1st and 2nd joints each with 3 spinous bristles; inner lobe of 3rd joint with 3 bristles (1 long, 2 short); outer lobe of 3rd joint with 1 long bare bristle; fused 4th and 5th joints with total of 3 spinous bristles; 1st and 2nd joints hirsute.

Sixth Limb: With 2 endites: endite I with 2 or 3 small bristles; endite II with 2 spinous bristles (1 long, 1 short). End joint of left limb of holotype with 11 bristles with short spines followed by 2 posterior plumose bristles (Figure 52f); end joint of right limb with 9 bristles with short spines followed by 3 posterior plumose bristles (3 bristles probably aberrant as 2 are usual) (Figure 52g). Limb hirsute. (Limb could be interpreted as having more than 2 endites.)

Seventh Limb (Figure 51j): 4 bristles in proximal group, 2 on each side with 2 or 3 bells; 6 bristles in terminal group, 3 on each side with 2–5 bells. Terminus with opposing combs, each with 5–7 broad teeth (not all shown).

Furca (Figure 51k): Each lamella with 6 claws decreasing in length posteriorly along lamella; only claw 1 nonarticulated; claws 1 and 2 with long slender teeth and claws 3–5 with short slender teeth along posterior edges; edge of lamellae following claws bare.

Bellonci Organ (Figure 52c): Elongate, unsegmented, with rounded tip.

Eyes: Lateral eyes absent. Medial eye unpigmented, with several light amber-colored cells (Figure 52c).

Upper Lip (Figure 52h): With straight ventral margin in lateral view and without spines or hairs.

Genitalia (Figure 51k): Ovoid with attached oval spermatophore on each side of body anterior to furca.

Anterior of Body (Figure 52c,h): Typical for subfamily.

Posterior of Body: Evenly rounded with few long hairs at posterodorsal corner.

Y-Sclerite (Figure 51k): With ventral branch.

Number of Eggs: Slope 40: holotype with few unextruded eggs; each of 3 paratypes with 2 eggs in marsupium (length of 1 egg in 2 specimens 0.25 mm, 0.26 mm).