Parawaldeckia stebbingi (Thomson 1893)

Parawaldeckia stebbingi (Thomson)

Lysianax stebbingi Thomson, 1893:63–65, pl. 3: figs. 9–18, pl. 5: figs. 9–10.

Socarnoides stebbingi.—Stebbing 1906:47–48.

Nannonyx kidderi.—Chilton 192la:41–42, fig. 3 [not Smith].

NOMENCLATURE.—Chilton (1921a) has compared a male of this species from Tasmania with the type specimen from Pirate’s Bay, Tasmania, Chilton’s figure of the telson is like that of the specimens identified herein, but Chilton was not able to see the telson of the type from a dorsal view. Since neither Thomson nor Chilton have indicated the condition of pereopod 5, there remains a question as to the proper nomenclature of the specimens at hand. This species and the following new species differ primarily in telson and pereopod 5.

DESCRIPTION (of female).—Eye elongate-oval, deep brown in alcohol; lateral cephalic lobes unevenly triangular and sharper than in P. yamba; prebuccal mass deeply produced, rounded, and weakly more pointed than in P. yamba; upper lip formed of small, narrow, slightly asymmetrical lobe hanging from epistome, posterior margin with scarcely setulose hump; article 3 of mandibular palp about 55 percent as long as article 2, bearing 2 apical setae, article 2 with 5 medium setae apically, article 1 about 60 percent as long as article 2; apex of palp on maxilla 1 sharp, inner plate with 2 short setae; coxa 1 strongly expanded and slightly extended anteroventrally; posterior margin of hand on gnathopod 1 with 5–6 medium-sized serrations, dactyl bearing distal accessory tooth, otherwise simple; palm of gnathopod 2 protuberant, dactyl attached in middle of hand apex, hand wider than distal third of article 5 but 1.7 times as long as broad; pereopods 1–5 with medium-sized spines on active margins of article 6, dactyls with weak slit and vestigial setutetooth; article 4 of pereopods 1–2 twice as broad as articles 5–6; article 4 of pereopods 3–5 broadly expanded, on pereopod 5 process of this article reaching two-thirds along 5, article 5 shorter than in P. yamba (see Figure 162P for other details of shapes); article 2 of pereopod 5 with softly quadrate unbeveled posteroventral comer; pleonal epimeron 1 with anteroventral protrusion softly rounded, epimera 2–3 softly quadrate posteroventrally; pleonite 4 with tent-shaped dorsal mound behind dorsal saddle; inner ramus of uropod 2 with 2 spines set in 2 notches of medium depth; peduncle of uropod 3 moderately expanded, half as broad as long, inner ramus about 35 percent as long as outer (including basal immersed portions), outer ramus with article 2 clearly articulate; telsonic apex nearly truncate, scarcely concave, each lateral apex with 2 stout spines and weak setule toward medial on each side, each lateral margin with notch at mark 60, each notch with 1 long and 1 short, thin plumose setule, telson with lateral margins rolled dorsally in rim far stronger than in P. yamba.

DISTRIBUTION.—Warm-temperate Australia, mainly sublittoral in bays.