Family AMPELISCIDAE Costa, 1857

Byblis bega Lowry & Poore, 1985

Museums

Museum list

Regional Maps

Family AMPELISCIDAE Costa, 1857

Compiler and date details

2002, 2003 - James K. Lowry & Gary C.B. Poore

Introduction

Ampeliscid amphipods form a large family, which is not diverse at the generic level (four genera), but has many (about 230) species. Taxonomically, it is a well-studied group which has been monographed from a number of areas in the world: e.g. Caribbean Sea (J.L. Barnard 1954a, 1954b); Mediterranean Sea (Bellan-Santini 1982); south-east Asia (Pirlot 1936; Hirayama 1991); south-eastern Australia (Lowry & Poore 1985); North Atlantic Ocean (Sars 1891; Mills 1971; Bellan-Santini & Dauvin 1988a); eastern Pacific Ocean (J.L. Barnard 1960, 1961, 1966a, 1966b, 1967a, 1967b, 1971); north-eastern Pacific Ocean (Dickinson 1983); southern Africa (Griffins 1974a, 1974b); Madagascar (Ledoyer 1982). Bellan-Santini & Dauvin (1988b, 1993) studied the phylogeny and zoogeography of Ampelisca and Byblis. Barnard and Karaman (1991) provide a key to genera and Lowry, Berents and Springthorpe (2000) provide a monograph and interactive key to Australian species.

Ampeliscids often dominate soft bottom benthic infaunal communities in shallow inshore and continental shelf environments (Mills 1971; Poore et al. 1975; Poore & Kudenov 1978; Poore 1982; Lowry & Poore 1985; Bellan-Santini & Dauvin 1988b, 1993) where they build silty tubes that can cover the bottom. Enequist (1949) and Mills (1965) have made interesting ecological studies on ampeliscids. Sainte-Marie (1991) summarised life-history traits and Conlan (1991) discussed mating behaviour.

In Australian waters only the ampeliscids from the south-eastern corner are well known (Lowry & Poore 1985). Much work remains to be done in other areas.

Diagnosis

Head as long as deep or longer than deep; anteroventral margin moderately recessed, oblique or rounded and deeply excavate; anteroventral corner hooked; rostrum short or absent; eyes well developed (round), obsolescent or absent. Body laterally compressed; smooth. Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; accessory flagellum absent; primary flagellum less than or more than 5-articulate; callynophore present or absent. Antenna 2 medium length, long or longer than body; flagellum shorter than, as long as or longer than peduncle; 5- or more articulate. Mandible incisor dentate; lacinia mobilis present on both sides; molar fully triturating. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically or without setae. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates small. Coxae 1–4 longer than broad, overlapping. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; subequal to gnathopod 2; simple; coxa subequal to coxa 2; carpus longer than propodus. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; simple; coxa subequal to but not hidden by coxa 3; ischium short; carpus long, longer than propodus. Pereopods homopodous (3–7 directed posteriorly); 3–4 with glandular meri. Pereopod 3 coxa longer than broad; carpus shorter than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa larger than coxa 3, with well developed posteroventral lobe; carpus shorter than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than pereopod 6; coxa smaller than coxa 4, without posterior lobe; basis expanded, subovate, without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear; dactylus minute. Pereopod 6 subequal to, or longer than pereopod 7; basis expanded. Pereopod 7 shorter than or subequal to pereopod 5; different in structure to pereopod 6; basis expanded or slightly expanded, with broad posteroventral lobe, with dense long slender setae. Urosomites 1 free, 2 and 3 coalesced; urosomite 1 carinate or urosomites not carinate. Uropods 1–2 apices of rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short; rami lanceolate or foliaceous; outer ramus longer than peduncle; inner ramus apically setose. Telson laminar; deeply or moderately cleft; longer than broad or broader than long; dorsal and apical robust setae present or absent.