Michelea papua Poore 2018, sp. nov

Michelea papua sp. nov. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:37FAF4C1-2B8E-44AA-B357-783EDE48B9FD Figure 7 Material examined. Holotype. Papua New Guinea. New Ireland Province, N of Kobotteron I., 02° 36.4'S, 150° 42.4'E, 2–3 m, reef wall and rubble, (KAVIENG 2014 stn KB62), IU-2013-2781 (male, 3.2 mm). Diagnosis. Gills fully developed. Pleopods 2, 3, 5 with 18/6, 18/8 and 25/13 marginal lamellae on endopods/exopods, respectively (pleopod 4 unknown). Telson tapering to rounded apex, length 1.15 width. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata; merus with mesial tooth. Description. Cephalothorax 0.4 total length, about 1.65 times as long as greatest height; rostrum triangular, about half as long as basal width, slightly depressed distally, about 0.4 as long as eyestalks; cervical groove weakly defined, reaching 0.6 length of cephalothorax; longitudinal setal-row level with lateral margin of eyestalk, of 5 setae; vertical setal-row of 5 setae below horizontal row and 2 setae near cervical groove. Pleomere 1 with dorsolateral longitudinal setal-row of 10 setae. Pleomeres 2–6 each with transverse setal-rows of 6–7 setae near midpoint; all somites also with groups of long simple setae, none with marginal setal-rows. Antennule with elongate waisted article 1, 0.6 length of cephalothorax; articles 2 and 3 subequal, each about 0.25 length of article 1; flagella with 11 and 9 articles, longer than peduncle. Antenna with distinct articulating scaphocerite, about half length of article 2; article 4 reaching to middle of article 3 of antennule; article 5 short; flagellum missing. Mandible, maxillules, maxillae, maxillipeds 1 and 2 typical of genus. Maxilliped 3 ischium with obsolete crista dentata; merus with strong mesial tooth on right of pair only (absent on left); exopod 1.6 times ischium length. Chelipeds equal; ischium with weak lower tooth; merus with weak tooth on slightly convex lower margin, upper margin more convex proximally than distally, 1.8 times as long as high; carpus unarmed; propodus almost cylindrical, 3.6 times as long as high; fixed finger 0.35 total length of propodus, its cutting edge with long obsoletely bicuspid tooth at midpoint; dactylus cutting edge straight, curved distally, equal to fixed finger. Pereopod 2 unknown. Pereopod 3 propodus 2.5 times as long as wide, with 2 spiniform setae on distal-upper mesial face, 6 on distal-lower face; and 2 transverse setal-rows of 1 and 2 setae; dactylus with 2 spiniform setae on upper margin. Pereopod 4 propodus 3.8 times as long as wide, with 7 spiniform setae on upper margin, 5 on lower margin; with 2 transverse setal-rows each of 2 setae; dactylus with 5 spiniform setae on upper-mesial margin. Pereopod 5 subchelate; fixed finger with 4 distal spiniform setae; dactylus without spiniform setae. Pleopod 1 of male lobed mesially, expanded distally, with c. 8 minute hooks, setose around midpoint and laterally, and with 5 simple seta laterally. Pleopod 2 with appendix interna sac-like, 2.5 times as long as wide; appendix masculina narrow, about third long as endopod; with 18 lamellae on lateral margin of endopod, 6 on distolateral margin of exopod. Pleopod 3 with 18 lamellae on lateral and distomesial margin of endopod, 8 on lateral margin of exopod; pleopod 4 unknown; pleopod 5 with 25 lamellae on endopod, 13 on exopod. Telson tapering to rounded apex from one-third length; 1.15 times as long as wide. Uropodal endopod ovate, 1.5 times as long as wide, anterior margin straight, distal margin semicircular, without distal tooth, posterior margin convex; exopod ovate, 1.7 times as long as wide, anterodistal margin with 16 short spiniform setae, posterior margin with 6 blade-like setae. Branchial formula as in M. kalbarri Poore and Collins, 2015. Distribution. Papua New Guinea. New Ireland Province (03° S, 151° E), 2– 3 m. depth (known only from type locality). Etymology. From Papua New Guinea; noun in apposition. Remarks. Michelea papua resembles M. imperieusae Poore and Collins, 2015, from north-western Australia in having similar numbers of pleopodal lamellae but differs in the short broad rostrum (not spine like), longer antennae, and more elongate maxilliped 3 and pereopodal articles.
Published as part of Poore, Gary C. B., 2018, Burrowing lobsters mostly from shallow coastal environments in Papua New Guinea (Crustacea: Axiidea: Axiidae, Micheleidae), pp. 1-14 in Memoirs of Museum Victoria 77 on page 12, DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2018.77.01, http://zenodo.org/record/8065241
{"references":["Poore, G. C. B., and Collins, D. J. 2015. Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea): new family and generic synonymies, three new Australian species, and new records. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 95 - 105. http: // doi. org / 10.24199 / j. mmv. 2015.73.08"]}