Epimeria (Hoplepimeria) d'Acoz & Verheye 2017

Epimeria (Hoplepimeria) sp. subgen. nov.

‘ Epimeria robustoides 1’ – Rauschert & Arntz, 2015: 62, pl. 55.

non Epimeria robustoides Lörz & Coleman in Lörz et al., 2009: 10.

Similar to Epimeria gargantua but with a different colour pattern. Background colour of the body: white; all pereionites with two pairs of small red spots disposed transversally; pereionite 1 + coxa 1, pereionite 4 + coxa 4, pereionite 7 + coxa 7 with broad orange red stripe; urosomite 1 and basis of pereiopod 7 orange red; basis of pereiopods 5–6 white; antennae and pereiopods (except basis of pereiopods 5–7) pink; mouthparts purple; eyes red.

PS61, ANT-XIX/5, LAMPOS, stn 229-1, Bruce Ridge [a geomorphologic elevation situated midway between the South Orkney Islands and the southern tip of the archipelago of the South Sandwich Islands], 60°08.77ʹ S, 34°54.83ʹ W to 60°07.81ʹ S, 34°56.17ʹ W, 362– 371 m.

Rauschert & Arntz (2015) do not indicate the coordinates of their ‘ Epimeria robustoides 1’, but this information is given in an early draft of the book made available to the authors: ANT-XIX/5, LAMPOS, stn 229-1, Bruce Ridge. It is not known where the specimen is stored; in November 2015, it was not deposited at the Berlin Museum (Coleman pers. com.).As its colour pattern, with large red patches, is very different from the purely white E. gargantua sp. nov. found more southernly, this specimen possibly belongs to a distinct species. It should be noted that the colour pattern of all E. gargantua sp. nov. collected during the cruises ANT-XXIII/8 and ANT-XXIX/3 (20 specimens) was examined on board and exhibited no variation.