Leucothoe whiteae Myers, 2013, sp. nov.

Leucothoe whiteae sp. nov.

(Figs 14, 15)

Type Material. Holotype male, 3.0 mm. (OUMNH.ZC.2002.24.104) Beluu Lukes Reef, eastern side; from Sinularia May, sp. (Alcyonacea: Alcyoniidae), - 12 m depth; 07°17.530'N, 134°30.870' E; leg. S. De Grave & C. Burras, 19 May 2002. Paratypes (OUMNH.ZC.2002.24.105) 63 males and females same data as holotype.

Etymology. Named for Dr Kris White in recognition of her extensive studies of this genus.

Description. Based on male Holotype, 3.0 mm.

Head. Head eye lobes rounded; eye suboval, very large. Antenna 1 longer than 2; peduncular articles 1 and 2 subequal in length; flagellum shorter than peduncular article 1 and 2 combined with 9 articles. Antenna 2 peduncular article 5 shorter than 4; flagellum subequal in length with peduncular article 5, with 5 articles. Mandible palp article 3 shorter than 2 and about twice length of article 1 with a single distal seta. Maxilliped outer plate tuberculate.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterior margin straight to weakly concave, posterior margin convex, basis slender, 4 × as long as broad; carpus slender, posterodistal spine 4 × as long as broad, weakly curved distally; propodus slender, parallel-sided 5 × as long a broad, palm smooth; dactylus short about one sixth length of propodus. Gnathopod 2 coxa subrectangular, basis slender, parallel-sided, a little over 3 × as long as broad, carpus distal margin crenulated; propodus subovoid, lacking mediofacial setal row; palm with a series of flat-topped spines; dactylus elongate, stout, fitting palm. Pereopod 3 coxa subrectangular. Pereopod 4 coxa weakly excavate posteriorally. Pereopods 5–7 basis expanded. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin weakly saw-toothed.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 posterodistal margin rounded. Epimeron 2 posterior margin with row of setae, posterodistal margin weakly extended. Epimeron 3 posterodistal margin rounded. Uropods 1–3 rami subequal and subequal in length with peduncle. Telson terminally tridentate.

Female. Similar to male but gnathopod 2 propodus palm with more accentuated flat topped spines. Remarks. Leucothoe whiteae sp. nov. shows some similarity with L. obuchii White & Reimer (2012a) from the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, with which it shares the tuberculate maxilliped outer plate, the weakly setiferous mandible palp, the short dactylus of gnathopod 1 and the form of the palm of gnathopod 2. In that species, however, compared with L. whiteae sp. nov. the antennae are shorter and subequal, the basis of gnathopod 1 is medially expanded, gnathopod 2 has a distally narrow carpus and rami of uropod 3 are shorter than the peduncle. Habitat. Amongst alcyoniids.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.