Vibilia antarctica Stebbing, 1888: 1290–1293, pl. 150. — Behning & Woltereck 1912: 9–11, fig. 11. Chilton 1912: 514. Behning 1913a: 529530, 533. Behning 1913b: 219. Behning 1925: 486 488, figs 26–31. Behning 1927: 118–119, 121 (Table). Barnard 1930: 404. Barnard 1932: 263– 264. Hurley 1960a: 110. Hurley 1960b: 278. Vinogradov 1962: 16. Hurley 1969: 33, pl. 18 (map 3). Dick 1970: 51. Semenova 1973: 171. Semenova 1976: 138. Vinogradov et al. 1982: 208–211, fig. 104. Barkhatov & Vinogradov 1988: 168 (Table), 170, 172, 176, 177. Jazdzewski & Presler 1988: 63, 66–70, figs 3, 4. Andres 1990: 141, fig. 281. Vinogradov 1990: 55. WeigmannHaass 1990: 419–426, figs 1–23. De Broyer & Jazdzewski 1993: 111. Barkhatov et al. 1999: 808 (Table). Vinogradov 1999: 1178–1179, fig. 4.79.
? Vibilia sp. Stebbing, 1888: 1293.
Vibilia stebbingi [misidentification]. — Hurley 1955: 125–129, fig. 1. Hurley 1960a: 111. Vinogradov 1962: 15–16. Nagata 1986: 268–270, figs 8–9.
Type material
The unique type of V. antarctica is in the BMNH (89.5.15.182), recorded from the Antarctic, 52º4’S, 71º22’E, surface.
Material examined (> 150 specimens)
Types. The unique holotype of V. antarctica, Challenger, 2 nd February, 1874: juvenile specimen on two microscope slides, head, G1 & 2, P3–7 and pleon.
Other material examined. Antarctic: 1 lot (BMNH), 12 lots (SAMA), 2 lots (USNM), 1 lot (ZMB), 1 lot (ZMH), 69 specimens. South Atlantic: 23 lots (BMNH), 1 lot (USNM), 1 lot (ZMB), 1 lot (ZMH), 1 lot (ZMUC), numerous specimens. South Pacific: 1 lot (BMNH), 6 specimens.
Diagnosis
Body length up to 17 mm. Antennae 1 as long as head and first two pereonites; flagellum with more or less parallel margins, obliquely truncate ventrally for distal third (slightly more acute in males). Gnathopod 2; carpal process reaches to dactylus, or slightly beyond. Pereopods 3 & 4; dactylus length about 0.3–0.5x propodus. Pereopods 5 & 6; dactylus length about 0.3x propodus. Pereopod 7; basis with almost straight anterior margin, with slight anterodistal projection with spinule, posterior margin convex with rounded posterodistal lobe extending to midmerus, width about 0.8x length, a little longer than ischium to carpus combined. Lateral corners of last urosomite not produced. Uropod 3; peduncle distinctly longer than rami; endopod slightly longer, or subequal in length to exopod in females, in males the endopod is up to onethird longer than the exopod. Telson triangular, length slightly more than half peduncle of U3.
Remarks
The similarity of this species to V. propinqua has already been discussed under that species. It also resembles V. stebbingi, but is much larger, and the body more plump, the carpal process of gnathopod 2 is almost as long as the propodus, the dactylus of pereopods 3–6 is relatively shorter, and the endopod of uropod 3 exhibits sexual dimorphism. The basis of pereopod 7 is also similar, but in V. stebbingi the anterodistal corner forms a narrow, pointed lobe partly overlapping the ischium.
The salp associate has not been recorded for this species. Information on the biology and distribution of V. antarctica in Antarctic waters is given by WeigmannHaass (1990).
Distribution
This is a coldwater species, relatively common south of the Subtropical Convergence. Incursions further north are most likely as the result of the influx of cold water currents.