Chuneola paradoxa Woltereck 1909

Chuneola paradoxa Woltereck

(Figs 29 & 30)

Chuneola paradoxa Woltereck, 1909: 152, pl. 3, fig. 9. Pirlot 1930: 3–7, figs 1–5. Bulycheva 1955: 1048 (table). Vinogradov 1957: 201 (key); 1960b: 249 (map); 1970: 384 (table). Vinogradov et al. 1982: 92–94, figs 31, 32. Vinogradov 1992: 325. De Broyer & Jazdzewski 1993: 109. Gates et al. 2003: 304.

Chuneola parasitica Vinogradov, 1956: 196–199, fig 1; 1957: 201; 1960a: 211–212; 1960b: 249 (map); 1962: 11, fig. 6; 1970: 384 (table). Yoo 1971: 44.

Type material. The unique type of C. paradoxa could not be found in any major European museum and is considered lost. The type locality is the Indian Ocean [06°38.5’S 70°58.1’E]; Valdivia Stn. 225.

Type material of synonyms. The unique type of C. parasitica, a juvenile measuring 8.5 mm, is in the collection of the ZMMU (Mb–1055), on microscope slides. The locality is the West Bering Sea [55°18’N 172°04’E], 3700–0 m. Vinogradov et al. (1982) synonymised it with C. paradoxa after a considered examination of additional material.

Material examined. North-East Pacific: Female (SAMA C6272); Alaska Gyre, S. of Alaska Pen. [50°0.5’N 165°0.2’W]; ex. M. Galbraith, 150 m, Sep. 1999. South-East Pacific: Female (USNM); off tip of S. America [55°22’– 55°24’S 78°08’– 78°24’W]; Eltanin Stn. 877, IKMWT 1940 m, 29 Nov. 1963. East Indian: Female (ZMUC), near Andaman Islands [09°02’N 93°07’E]; Galathea Stn. 318, 2800 mw, 5 May 1951. Southern Ocean: Female (SAMA C6271); W. of Macquarie Island [54°47.3’– 54°53’S 157°48.8’– 157°58.8’E]; FRV Southern Surveyor Stns 501/71, 1122– 4 m, 24 Jan. 1999.

Diagnosis. Body length of about 30 mm. Pereon arched, flattened dorsoventrally, without keels or spines. Head with broad, rounded rostrum overlapping antennae (less developed in juveniles). Eyes very small. Antennae 1 stout, about as long as half of head. Antennae 2 with oval-shaped vesicular peduncular article, slightly longer than wide, almost as long as A1; terminal article almost twice as long as wide. Gnathopod 1 similar to G2 but slightly shorter; basis length slightly less than carpus and propodus combined. Pereopod 3 is identical to P4; basis length about twice merus; carpus slightly longer than merus, subequal in length to propodus; propodus with well-developed spoon-shaped formation for fully retractile dactylus. Pereopods 5–7 similar in structure with retractile, fully hooded dactyls. Pereopod 5; length 0.8x P4; basis length 2.5x merus; carpus length 1.3x merus, subequal in length to propodus. Pereopod 6 marginally longer than P5; relative lengths of articles like P5. Pereopod 7 marginally longer than P6 but slightly shorter than P4; relative lengths of articles like P5. Uropod 1; peduncle as long as inner ramus, reaching middle of peduncle of U2; outer ramus slightly shorter than inner. Uropod 2; peduncle slightly longer than inner ramus; outer ramus marginally shorter than inner. Uropod 3; peduncle marginally longer than broad; inner ramus marginally shorter than outer. Telson as long as width at base; slightly shorter than peduncle of U3.

Colour of unfixed specimens is cherry-red (Vinogradov et al.1982.)

Remarks. This is one of the most common species of Chuneola although it is a relatively rare species. It is readily distinguished from all its congeners by the shape of the rostrum, the relatively short antennae and the lack of ornamentation on the pereon. Fully mature specimens are not known, although Vinogradov (1962) records an almost sexually mature female measuring 28 mm. Also, Yoo (1971) records a female measuring 60 mm from the East China Sea but this may be an error in identification or measurement.

In this species the coxae have distinct ridges and depressions to accommodate adjacent pereopods; allowing the animal to curl up, similar to that found in the families Platyscelidae and Parascelidae.

Distribution. Previously recorded from the north-west and tropical Pacific Ocean, the Arafura/Banda Sea, the East China Sea, the Tasman Sea, the central Indian Ocean and the Indian Ocean sector of the Antarctic. It is here recorded from the northern and southern part of the eastern Pacific Ocean, the eastern Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean near Macquarie Island. It remains to be recorded from the Atlantic Ocean. According to Vinogradov et al. (1982) it inhabits meso- and bathypelagic depths having been found in catches from depths of 0–750m and 550–1100 m and in catches from depths of more than 1000 m to the surface.