Kerguelenia kawatiri Lowry & Stoddart 2010, sp. nov.

Kerguelenia kawatiri sp. nov.

(Figs 19–21)

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female, 3.5 mm, AM P.69010, east of Cape Naturaliste, Tasmania, Australia, 40°45.94’S 149°01.62’E to 40°46.54’S 149°00.27’E, 2400–2500 m, mud and clay, 10 December 1986, R. T. Springthorpe, RV Franklin stn FR1086-04.

Type locality. East of Cape Naturaliste, Tasmania, Australia, 40°45.94’S 149°01.62’E to 40°46.54’S 149°00.27’E, 2400–2500 m depth.

Etymology. Named for the steamship Kawatiri, wrecked in 1907 while trying to enter Macquarie Harbour through Hells Gates in Tasmania.

Diagnostic description. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 not or only slightly produced dorsodistally . Mandible incisor absent; left lacinia mobilis absent; accessory spine row absent; molar absent. Maxilla 1 outer plate with 5 setal-teeth, setal-teeth without cusps; palp 2-articulate. Maxilliped palp article 2 longer than broad, length 1.8 x breadth. Gnathopod 1 basis margins subparallel; ischium very long, length 4 x breadth; carpus very long, length 4.3 x breadth, subequal to (1 x) propodus; propodus tapered distally, length 5 x breadth. Pereopods 3 and 4 propodus with short distal locking seta. Pereopod 5 basis linear , without posteroventral lobe; merus moderately expanded posteriorly. Pereopod 7 basis with posteroventral lobe extending about halfway along merus; merus posteroventral lobe extending more than halfway along, but not beyond, carpus. Pleonite 3 without dorsodistal boss. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner subquadrate. Uropod 1 rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 uniramous ; outer ramus 2-articulate. Telson shorter than broad, length about 0.9 x breadth.

Remarks. Kerguelenia kawatiri belongs to a group of species (K. antarctica, K. compacta and K. macropoda) in which the basis of pereopod 5 is linear and uropod 3 is uniramous. It can be distinguished from K. antarctica by the absence of any dorsodistal production on peduncular article 1 of antenna 1; and from the other two species by the presence of a minute second article on the ramus of uropod 3.

The holotype female has an oostegite on pereopod 5 only.

Distribution. South-eastern Australia, in 2400–2500 m depth.