Hirondellea kapala Lowry & Stoddart 2010, sp. nov.

Hirondellea kapala sp. nov.

(Figs 9–11)

Type material. HOLOTYPE, male, 7.6 mm, AM P.68979, south-east of Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 33°37’S, 152°04’E to 33°39’S, 152°02’E, 896–924 m, dredge, 10 December 1980, R. Springthorpe on RV Kapala, stn K80-20-09. PARATYPES: 1 male, AM P.68980, type locality; 1 female, ovigerous, AM P.68981, type locality; 1 female, non-ovigerous, with setose oostegites, P.68984, type locality; 1 specimen, AM P.68983, east of Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 33°30’S 152°09’E to 33°33’S 152°11’E, 922– 1015 m, dredge, 12 February 1986, RV Kapala, stn K-86-01-08; 6 specimens, AM P.68978, east of Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 33°31’S 152°08’E to 33°33’S 152°07’E, 914 m, dredge, R. Springthorpe, 10 December 1980, RV Kapala, stn K-80-20-08; 3 specimens, AM P.68982, north-east of Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, 33°44’S 151°57’E, 820–889 m, beam trawl, 11 February 1986, RV Kapala, stn K-86- 01-07.

Additional material. 6 specimens, AM P.49813, north-east of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 30°10.88'S 153°32.21'E, 1000 m, baited trap, 12–13 August 1993, 1030–0830 hrs, P. Berents, R. T. Springthorpe & W. Vader, MV Cheryl Lee, SEAS stn NSW-876. — 2 specimens, AM P.49833 and 2 specimens, AM P.56083, same data, SEAS stn NSW-877. — 21 specimens, AM P.43371, north-east of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 30°10.94'S, 153°32.27'E, 1000 m, baited trap, bottom temperature 7.4°C, 8–9 September 1994, J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey, MV Carrie Anne, SEAS stn NSW-1000. — 2 specimens, AM P.48099, north-east of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 30°10.94'S 15332.27'E, 963 m, baited trap, set 1215 hrs, P. Berents, R. T. Springthorpe & W. Vader on MV Cheryl Lee, 11–12 August 1993, SEAS stn NSW-862. — 1 specimen, AM P.48118, same data, SEAS stn NSW-863. — 1 specimen, AM P.50072, north-east of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 30°10.94'S 153°32.27'E, 1000 m, baited trap, bottom temperature 7.4°C, 9–10 September 1994, J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on MV Carrie Annee, SEAS stn NSW-1021. — 77 specimens, AM P.44366, off Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, 34°33.41'S, 151°21.35'E, 1000 m, baited trap, 6–7 May 1993, P. Freewater, S. Keable & W. Vader on MV Robin E, SEAS stn NSW-788. — 87 specimens, AM P.44375, same data, SEAS stn NSW-789. — 2 specimens, MV J60580, south of Point Hicks, Victoria, Australia, 38°19.60'S 149°24.30'E, 930 m, rock, rubble, clay, sand, biogenic sediment, WHOI epibenthic sled, 23 July 1986, M.F. Gomon et al. on RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 33. — 8 specimens, MV J60581, off Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia, 42°0.20'S 148°37.70'E, 720 m, coarse shelly sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, 27 July 1986, M.F. Gomon et al. on RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 46. — 5 specimens, MV J60582, off Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia, 42°2.20'S, 148°38.70'E, 800 m, coarse shelly sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, 27 July 1986, M.F. Gomon et al. on RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 45. — 1 specimen, AM P.51358, east of Fortescue Bay, Tasmania, Australia, 43°08.96'S 145°15.36'E, 1000 m, baited trap 1, 9–10 April 1994, J.K. Lowry & K. Dempsey on MV Martrudan, SEAS stn TAS-419. — 3 specimens, AM P.51390, same data, SEAS stn TAS-421. — 1 specimen, AM P.51384, same data, SEAS stn TAS-422. — 21 specimens, AM P.57980, same data, SEAS stn TAS-423.

Type locality. South-east of Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 33°37’S 152°04’E to 33°39’S 152°02’E, 896–924 m depth.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the vessel, FRV Kapala, from which the collections of the type specimens were made; used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Head lobe broadly rounded. Epistome weakly produced, broadly rounded. Gnathopod 1 propodus palm slightly acute, straight; dactylus strongly over-reaching palm, with 1 subterminal spine on inner margin. Gnathopod 2 minutely subchelate; propodus length 1.8 × breadth. Epimeron 1 anteroventral corner rounded. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner broadly rounded. Uropod 2 inner ramus incised. Uropod 3 outer ramus article 2 long, 0.3 × article 1. Telson length 1.4 × breadth, cleft 51 %.

Remarks. Hirondellea kapala is the only Australian species with a slightly acute palm on gnathopod 1, but other species in the genus, such as H. dubia Dahl, 1959; H. fidenter J.L. Barnard, 1966; H. gigas (Birstein & Vinogradov, 1955); H. glutonis Barnard & Ingram, 1990; H. trioculata Chevreux, 1889; H. wolfendeni (Tattersall, 1909) all have this character. Among these species only H. kapala, H. trioculata and H. wolfendeni have a straight margin on the palm. Hirondellea kapala and H. wolfendeni both have the gnathopod 1 dactylus strongly overlapping the palm. Gnathopod 2 is subchelate in H. kapala but minutely chelate in H. wolfendeni.

Distribution. South-eastern Australia in 720–1000 m depth.