Mandibulophoxus gilesi J. L. Barnard 1957

Mandibulophoxus gilesi J. L. Barnard

Mandibulophoxus gilesi J. L. Barnard, 1957:433–435, figs. 1, 2.–Gray and McCain, 1969:189–191, fig. 1.

Mandibulophoxus uncirostratus.—J. L. Barnard, 1960:359 [in part, not Giles]; 1969c: 196 [not Giles].

DISTRIBUTION.—Eastern Pacific Ocean from Yaquina Bay, Oregon, to southern California, 0–18 m.

Cunmurra, new genus

DIAGNOSIS OF MALE.—Eyes present. [Flagella of antennae 1–2 probably unreduced in female.] Article 2 of antenna 1 elongate, ventral setae widely spread. Article 1 of antenna 2 not ensiform; article 3 with 2 setules; facial spines on article 4 in 2 or more rows; article 5 ordinary in size. Right mandibular incisor with 3 teeth; molar not triturative, ordinary to small, pillow-shaped, bearing 4 or more splayed, semiarticulate spines, usually bearing fuzz; palpar hump medium. Palp of maxilla 1 biarticulate; inner plate with 4 setae. Setation of maxilla 2 ordinary. Inner plate of maxillipeds ordinary; apex of palp article 3 not protuberant, dactyl elongate, apical nail distinct, short to medium. Gnathopods dissimilar, gnathopod 2 moderately enlarged; article 5 of gnathopod 2 of ordinary length, free, elongate on gnathopod 1, with weak eusirid attachment; palms oblique, hands of gnathopods 1–2 elongate and broadened respectively, poorly setose anteriorly. Article 6 of pereopods 1–2 with posteroproximal setae. Article 2 of pereopod 3 of broad form, articles 4–5 of pereopods 3–4 broad to medium, article 2 of pereopods 3–4 not setose posteriorly; pereopod 5 ordinary, article 2 naked ventrally, article 3 ordinary, dactyl normal. Epimera 1–2 lacking long posterior setae, without midfacial setae above ventral facial ridge; epimeron 3 ordinary but almost of rounded classification and bearing 2 medium setae. Urosomite 1 generally naked except for sparse apicoventral setae or spines near base of uropod 1; urosomite 3 without dorsal hook or special process. Peduncle of uropod 1 normally elongate, without apicoventral spike, without special enlarged apicolateral-medial spine; peduncular apices of uropods 1–2 not combed; spines if present on inner ramus of uropod 1 in one row, no rami continuously spinose to apex, inner ramus of uropod 2 ordinary. Uropod 3 ordinary, article 2 of outer ramus carrying 2 long apical setae. Telson ordinary, with only one apical spine on each lobe plus setules.

DESCRIPTION OF MALE.—Rostrum fully developed. Fuzz on article 1 of antenna 1 in male present, calceoli on male primary flagellum of antenna 1 present. Calceoli on article 5 of male antenna 2 present, flagellum in male with calceoli. Prebuccal parts ordinary, poorly separated from each other, upper lip dominant. Right lacinia mobilis bifid, thin; mandibular palp thin, article 1 short, article 2 without outer setae, apex of article 3 oblique. Lower lip bearing cones, outer plate of maxilla 1 with 11 spines, one spine especially thickened. Inner plates of maxilliped thick, ordinarily setose; outer plates especially small. Coxae 2–4 without special anterodorsal humps. All posterior spines on article 6 of pereopods 1–2 thick and stiff, midapical seta present. Article 2 of pereopod 5 without facial setae. Peduncle of uropod 1 with dorsolateral spines confined apically, medial spines widely spread; peduncle of uropod 2 with only one medial setule confined apically. Peduncle of uropod 3 lacking extra subapical setae or spines. Telson with ordinary pair of midlateral or dorsal setules on each side.

TYPE-SPECIES.—Cunmurra itickerus, new species.

COMPOSITION.—Unique.

RELATIONSHIP.—This genus appears to stand near the ancestral pool of the Brolgus group of genera in which gnathopod 2 is enlarged and bears a shortened wrist, and in which the apices of the peduncles on uropods 1–2 are combed, and in which epimeron 3 is very simple, poorly setose, protuberant, and rounded posteroventrally. Cunmurra is more primitive than other members of the Brolgus group because of the presence of 4 spines on the mandibular molars, the presence of 2 ventral setae and several posterior setules on epimeron 3, and the absence of uropodal combs. Gnathopod 2 is weakly enlarged but the wrist is not fully shortened. Gnathopod 1 has departed from the hypothetically ideal condition in that it is more slender than in other members of the group so that Cunmurra does not form the perfect ancestral grade visualized for the Brolgus group. Cunmurra retains the normal birubiin or primitive inner plate on maxilla 1, which in the Brolgus group often has reduced numbers and sizes of setae and it also retains the following nonbrolgin features: elongate article 2 of antenna 1, strongly spinose molar, stouter spines on article 6 of pereopods 1–2 and stouter distal articles on pereopods 3–5. Whether or not Cunmurra retains the elongate article 5 of antenna 2 in the female is unknown because that sex is undiscovered in Cunmurra.

Cunmurra appears to be in an ancestral grade of the Birubius mayamyi (11) andB. booleus (15) groups, especially of the latter, itself a close sibling of B. mayamayi. Cunmurra differs from B. booleus mainly in the distinctive primitive gnathopods and in the normalcy of the right lacinia mobilis, which in B. booleus is more complex.

Birubius ularitus (29) is especially close to Cunmurra itickerus. Besides the slight difference in gnathopods, Cunmurra itickerus differs from B. ularitus in the more elongate article 2 of antenna 1, bifid right lacinia mobilis, smaller outer plate of the maxilliped, narrower coxa 4, absence of a posterodorsal setule on epimeron 3, and the absence of basofacial setae on uropod 1.

Cunmurra must surely find its classificatory home eventually in the Joubinellinae because of the enlarged gnathopod 2, elongate article 2 of antenna 1, and the presence of more than 3 spines on the mandibular molar. It would be considered to be the most unspecialized member of that group which is otherwise composed of aberrant phoxocephalids having either pelagic and predatorial adaptations or inquilinous adaptations.