Caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Papua New Guinea,with the description of a new species

This is the first study of caprellid amphipods from the coast of Papua New Guinea. Several collections from Madang Lagoon (north) and Bootless Bay (south) have been studied. Seven species in seven genera are recorded, of which Pseudoproto papua sp. nov. is described as new to science. The genus Pseudoproto Mayer, 1903 has consisted, so far, of only one species, Pseudoproto fallax Mayer, 1903. Although only a single male has been found of Pseudoproto papua sp. nov., differences in antennae, mouthparts, gnathopod 2 and pereopods 3 and 4 have revealed that it represents a new species of Pseudoproto. Lateral view figures of all species, together with a key to species level for the Caprellidea from Papua New Guinea are also included. Communicated by H.-D. Franke     

Gammaridean and caprellidean fauna from Brazil

This review of Brazilian Amphipod works is arranged in a chronological list and points out the significant works for each one of the four arbitrary periods. Besides that, this paper deals with the distribution of 83 species of Brazilian Gammaridea and Caprellidea in relation to bathymetry, substrate, latitude and thermal region.     

Comparative analysis of the circulatory system in Amphipoda (Malacostraca, Crustacea)

We present data on the haemolymph vascular system (HVS) in four representatives of the major amphipod lineages Gammaridea, Hyperiidea and Caprellidea based on corrosion casting and three‐dimensional reconstructions of histological semi‐thin sections. In all these species the HVS comprises a dorsal pulsatile heart, which is continued in the body axis by the anterior and posterior aortae. The heart is equipped with three pairs of incurrent ostia. The number of cardiac arteries that lead off the heart varies among species: in the studied Gammaridea four pairs occur, in Hyperia galba only the three posterior pairs of cardiac arteries occur, while in Caprella mutica cardiac arteries are absent. In all the studied species the posterior aorta leads as a simple tube into the pleon attached to the dorsal diaphragm. The anterior aorta runs from its origin in the anterior part of the second thoracic segment into the cephalothorax. Both pairs of antennae have an arterial supply off the anterior aorta. An overview of previously studied species including our present findings shows the amphipod HVS to be relatively uniform and the gammarid form is discussed as being closest to the ground pattern of Amphipoda.     

Revision of the genus Noculacia Mayer, 1903 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidea) with the description of two new species

The genus Noculacia Mayer, 1903 is reviewed. Two new species, N. africana n. sp. and N. australiensis n. sp., are described based on material collected from southeast Africa and western-southern Australia, respectively. Noculacia bullata Mayer, 1903, the type species of the genus, is redescribed. Noculacia bogisa Mayer, 1903 is transferred to the genus Pseudoprotella Mayer, 1890 mainly on the basis of the presence of a well developed molar, the structure of pereopods 3 and 4, and the setal formula of the mandibular palp being 2-x-1. The genus Noculacia is presently composed of three species: N. africana n. sp., N. australiensis n. sp, and N. bullata Mayer, 1903. The genus Pseudoprotella is composed of P. bogisa (Mayer, 1903), P. inermis Chevreux, 1927, and P. phasma (Montagu, 1804).     

Two new species of Caprella (Crustacea:Amphipoda:Caprellidea) collected from sandy bottoms in the Strait of Gibraltar

Two new species of the genus Caprella (Crustacea:Amphipoda:Caprellidea) are described based on specimens collected from the Strait of Gibraltar (Southern Spain and Northern Africa). Both species were found living in sandy bottoms. Caprella pseudorapax n. sp. is very close to the species C. rapax (Mayer, 1890) and C. lilliput (Krapp-Schickel & Ruffo, 1987). Caprella sabulensis n. sp. resembles C. cavediniae (Krapp-Schickel & Vader, 1998).