A new species of Metatanais Shiino, 1952 (Crustacea, Tanaidacea, Paratanaoidea) from Australian coral reefs, with a redefinition of the genus

Abstract

Th is paper presents a description of the new species Metatanais bipunctatus sp. n. found on coral reefs at two sites in Australia: Lizard Island (Queensland) and Ningaloo Reef (north-western Australia). Th e new species is the second member of the genus and it is morphologically almost identical to type species M. cylindricus Shiino, 1952, recorded from algae on the surface of ascidians or sponges in shallow waters off Seto (north-western coast of Japan). Th e new species was compared with the holotype of M. cylindricus and it can be distinguished from it by relatively short fi rst article in antennule, compact propodus of pereopod 6 (about three times as long as wide) and robust ventral spiniform seta on propodus of last three pairs of pereopods. Th e defi nition of the genus has been amended and appendages (where possible) of M. cylindricus has been fi gured.

Small-scale species richness of the Great Barrier Reef tanaidaceans—results of the CReefs compared with worldwide diversity of coral reef tanaidaceans

“…Moreover, 10 out of the 20 species reported previously from Australian coral reefs were also described from the CReefs collections (Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Bamber 2009;Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Zemko 2009;Stepień andBłażewicz-Paszkowycz 2009, 2013;Stępień, 2013;Heard et al 2018). Our results significantly extend the list of Australian tanaidaceans.…”

“…Species lists from even larger areas seem far from complete (Table 1). For example, African coral reefs are known to support as few as 22 species (Băcescu 1975(Băcescu , 1976aRoman 1976;Guţu 2007Guţu , 2010Guţu , 2016, 21 species were recorded in Indonesia (Stebbing 1910;Shiino 1965;Guţu 1992Guţu , 1995Guţu , 1997Guţu , 1998Guţu , 2006Guţu , 2007Guţu , 2016Larsen 2002;Larsen and Rayment 2002;Aguspanich 2005, 2006), and 20 species from off Australia (Hale 1933;Edgar 1997;Băcescu 1981;Guţu 2006;Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Zemko 2009;Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Bamber 2009;Stępień andBłażewicz-Paszkowycz 2009, 2013;Stępień 2013;Heard et al 2018), and yet those three areas belong to the most comprehensively studied regions of the world in terms of coral reef tanaidacean fauna diversity. Coral reefs in some regions or even in entire basins, e.g., the Red Sea, have not been surveyed for tanaidacean diversity at all.…”

“…1, Table 1 and citation therein). As few as 20 species were described from Australian coral reefs (Whitelegge 1901;Băcescu 1981;Edgar 1997;Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Bamber 2009;Błażewicz-Paszkowycz and Zemko 2009;Stępień andBłażewicz-Paszkowycz 2009, 2013;Stępień 2013;Heard et al 2018).…”

Muvi schmallenbergi gen. nov., sp. nov. (Crustacea, Tanaidacea) from the southeast Australian coast, with comments on the distribution and habitat preferences of Chondropodinae

“…For example, Bamber (2005) described 24 new species from Esperance Bay, Guţu (2006a) reported 13 new species from tropical zones of Australia, Edgar (2008) reported 12 new species of the family Tanaididae in Tasmanian waters, and Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber (2012) described 42 new species from the Bass Strait. As a result, the number of the tanaidaceans known to occur along the Australian coast increased from 22 to 209 (as summarized by Bamber, 2008 ; Edgar, 2008 ; Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2009 ; Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Zemko, 2009 ; Stępień & Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, 2009a , 2009b ; Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2012 ; Edgar, 2012 ; Jóźwiak & Jakiel, 2012 ; Bamber, 2013 ; Bamber & Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, 2013 ; Stępień & Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, 2013 ; Gellert & Błażewicz, 2018 ). This demonstrates the high diversity of these small and poorly recognized peracarids along the Australian coast ( Bamber & Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, 2013 ), with a high level of endemism ( Błażewicz-Paszkowycz & Bamber, 2012 ; Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, Bamber & Anderson, 2012 ).…”