Vibilia australis Stebbing, 1888: 1287 - 1290

Vibilia australis Stebbing (Figs 18 & 19)

Vibilia australis Stebbing, 1888: 1287–1290, pl. 149. — Vosseler 1901: 124. Stebbing 1910: 654. Behning & Woltereck 1912: 5. Behning 1913a: 529, 533. Behning 1913b: 219. Spandl 1924a: 21. Behning 1925: 488, figs 32–34. Behning 1927: 119, 121 (Table). Barnard 1932: 264. Guiler 1952: 31. Bulycheva 1955: 1048 (Table). Reid 1955: 14. Hurley 1956: 11–12. Sheard 1965: 244 (list). Pillai 1966: 208–209, fig. 3. Sheard 1967: 979 (Table), 982 (Table), 983 (Table). Stuck et al. 1980: 361. Thurston 1976: 404. Tranter 1977: 646, 648 (Table). Brusca 1981: 17 (key), 39, fig. 4b. Vinogradov et al. 1982: 223–224, fig. 110. De Broyer & Jazdzewski 1993: 111. Shih & Chen 1995: 49–51, fig. 26. Barkhatov et al. 1999: 808 (Table). Vinogradov 1999: 1179, fig. 4.81. Lima & Valentin 2001: 471 (list), 476 (Table).

Vibilia australis var. pelagica Behning & Woltereck 1912: 9, figs 9­10. — Behning 1913b: 219. Behning 1925: 488–489, figs 35–41.

Vibilia seriocellatus Stephensen, 1932b: 498­501, fig. 5.

Vibilia wolterecki Behning, 1939: 358–361, pl. 6. — Bulycheva 1955: 1048 (Table). Lorz & Pearcy 1975: 1444 (Table). Shulenberger 1977: 378 (Table). Brusca 1981: 18 (key), 39, figs 4j, 4m. New synonymy.

Type material

The three syntypes of V. australis are in the BMNH (89.5.15.181). The type locality is south of Australia, 48º18’S, 130º04’E, surface.

Type material of synonyms

Type material of V. australis var. pelagica and V. wolterecki could not be found at the ZMB or ZMH and is considered lost. Judging by the description and figures of Behning and Woltereck (1912) and Behning (1925) there is no good reason to maintain the variety. Similarly, Behning’s (1939) description and figures of V. wolterecki readily characterise V. australis. Vinogradov et al. (1982) do not mention V. wolterecki !

The syntypes of V. seriocellatus are in the ZMUC (CRU 2830). All of the specimens are clearly identifiable with V. australis. Stephensen (1932b) was apparently unaware of Stebbing’s species for he makes no mention of it.

Material examined (111 specimens)

Types. Three syntypes of V. australis, Challenger, 9 th & 10 th March, 1874: 2 specimens in spirit; 3 microscope slides of head, G1 & 2, P3–7 and pleon. Seven syntypes of V. seriocellatus from Matsu Bay, northern Honshu, Japan, December, 1931, in “body cavity of a Salpa ”: in spirit.

Other material examined. East China Sea: 3 lots (SAMA), 3 specimens. North Atlantic: 1 lot (USNM), 10 lots (ZMB), 1 lot (ZMUC), 19 specimens. South Atlantic: 1 lot (off Rio de Janeiro), 1 lot (BMNH), 1 lots (ZMB), 11 specimens. North Pacific: 3 lots (CAS), 9 lots (USNM), 60 specimens. South Indian: 8 lots (SAM), 9 specimens.

Diagnosis

Body length up to 6 mm. Eyes with ocelli in three, almost vertical, rows. Antennae 1 as long as head and first two pereonites; flagellum with parallel margins, tapering gradually toward apex, with relatively straight ventral margin. Antennae 2 very short, consisting of 2–4 articles. Gnathopod 2; carpal process about as long as propodus. Pereopods 3 & 4; dactylus length about half propodus. Pereopods 5 & 6; dactylus length about 0.3x propodus. Pereopod 7; basis rectangular, width about 0.7x length, as long as ischium to middle of propodus combined, with rounded posterodistal lobe overlapping ischium. Lateral corners of last urosomite not produced. Uropod 3; peduncle distinctly longer than rami; sexual dimorphism of endopod not evident. Telson triangular, length 0.5–0.7x peduncle of U3.

Remarks

In general appearance this species is similar to V. caeca but is readily distinguished by the eyes. Vibilia australis is also unusual in having very short second antennae of only 2– 4 articles, a character, which it shares only with V. caeca.

This is the smallest species of Vibilia.

The salp associate has not been recorded for this species but specimens found off British Columbia, Canada have been found associated with Cyclosalpa bakeri (Moira Galbraith pers. comm.). Stephensen (1932b) records his specimens from the body cavity of Salpa.

Distribution

This is an uncommon species, widely distributed in the tropical and temperate regions of the world’s oceans.