Material examined: 66 individuals. Holotype ZMH K40606, RV ”Meteor” St. 66, one female. Paratypes ZMUC CRU 3960 RV ”Polarstern” St. 139, five females, ZMB 27519 RV ”Polarstern” St. 154, four females, ZMH K40607 RV ”Meteor” St. 21, one female, ZMH K40608 RV ”Meteor” St. 27, one female, ZMH K40609 RV ”Meteor” St. 50, seven females (one dissected), ZMH K40610 RV ”Meteor” St. 66, one female, ZMH K 40611 RV ”Meteor” St. 96, four females, one juvenile male, one neuter, ZMH K40612 RV ”Walther Herwig” St. 138, one female, ZMH K40613 RV ”Polarstern” St. 91, one female, ZMH K40614 RV ”Polarstern” St. 143, one female, ZMH K40615 RV ”Polarstern” St. 145, 16 females, four neuters, ZMH K40616 RV ”Polarstern” St. 147, 13 females, two neuters, ZMH K40617 RV ”Polarstern” St. 148, two females.
Diagnosis: Cheliped with crenulation on carpal shield, on dorsal and lateral propodus, and on dactylus. Pereopod 4 to 6 with spinules on propodus.
Description: nonovigerous female. Body (Fig. 20a, b): long, about 10 times as long as wide. Body length 1.4 to 3.4 mm. Cephalothorax (Fig. 20a, b): about 1.5 times longer than broad, oval shaped. Pereon (Fig. 20a, b): pereonite 1 shortest; pereonite 6 longer than 1, shorter than 5; pereonite 2 longer than 5 and subequal to 4; pereonite 3 longest.
Pleon (Fig. 20a, b): pleonites of equal length; pleotelson rounded.
Antennule (Fig. 20c): article 1 longest, with two distal setae; article 2 with one long simple seta; article 3 shortest, with one distal simple seta; article 4 with five terminal setae.
Antenna (Fig.20d): article 1 short, semifused to cephalothorax; article 2 as long as wide, with one short spiniform seta dorsally; article 3 with one simple seta distally; article 4 longest, with two distal simple long, two distal short and two short simple setae at midlength; article 5 with one simple long seta distally; article 6 shortest, with three terminal simple setae.
Labrum (Fig. 21d): hoodshaped, smooth.
Mandible (Fig. 21c): well calcified; pars molaris bent ventrally; lacinia mobilis spiniform.
Maxillula (Fig. 21a): endite with three rows of ventral setules and seven rows of dorsal setules; nine simple terminal spiniform setae.
Maxilla (Fig. 21f): rectangular, with no special features.
Labium (Fig. 21e): composed of two triangular lobes, naked.
Maxilliped (Fig. 21g): with no special features.
Epignath (Fig. 21b): as long as Maxillula, with no special feature.
Cheliped (Fig. 20g): basis as long as carpus; merus with one ventral simple seta; carpus with one ventral and one dorsal simple setae; carpal shield weak, with a prominent row of tubercles on ventral margin; propodus with very prominent row of tubercles ventrally, row of tubercles dorsally near insertion of dactylus, with three teeth on cutting edge; dactylus with very prominent row of tubercles dorsally.
Pereopod 1 (Fig. 20h): coxa naked; basis 2.5 times as long as broad, with one simple short and one setulose setae; ischium short, with one simple seta; merus as long as carpus, with one spiniform seta; carpus with two spiniform setae; propodus with one terminal spine and one terminal short spiniform seta; dactylus smooth; unguis short and sharp.
Pereopod 2 (Fig. 20i): as pereopod 1, except basis with only one setulose seta, carpus with two spinules ventrally.
Pereopod 3 (Fig. 20j): as pereopod 1, except basis with only one setulose seta, carpus with three spiniform setae.
Pereopod 4 (Fig. 20k): basis three times as long as broad, with one simple seta; ischium short, naked; merus with two spiniform spetae; carpus longer than merus, with three spiniform setae; propodus with a row of dorsal spinules, terminal spine and three terminal spiniform setae; dactylus with no special features.
Pereopod 5 (Fig. 20l): as pereopod 4, except carpus with a row of spinules ventrally.
Pereopod 6 (Fig. 20m): as pereopod 4, except ischium with simple seta; carpus and propodus have four spiniform setae.
Pleopods (Fig. 20f): exopod with 14 simple long setae; endopod with 14 simple long setae.
Uropods (Fig. 20e): exopod almost as long as endopod article 1. Exopod article 1 with two distal simple setae; article 2 with two terminal simple setae. Endopod article 1 with one distal simple seta; article 2 with two terminal simple setae.
Type locality: Antarctic Peninsula, RV ”Meteor” St. 66, 64° 28.5´S 64° 45.0´W, 320 m.
Etymology: the latin termination oides refers to the similarity to the species P. multiserrata.
Distribution: this species occurs in the Antarctic Peninsula, Elephant Island, and King George Island.
Remarks: this species resembles P. multiserrata. The differences are in the cheliped, the carpal shield in P. multiserratoides is less developed than in P. multiserrata, the propodus of P4–P 6 in P. multiserratoides are armed in dorsal spinules while they are smooth in P. multiserrata. The crenulation on the cheliped is more prominent in P. multiserratoides than in P. multiserrata. Moreover Paraleptognathia multiserrata occurs in the North Atlantic Ocean while P. multiserratoides occurs in the South Atlantic Ocean.