The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Isopoda, Aegidae (Crustacea)

Figure 89. Aegiochus tara sp. nov. Holotype. A, mandible; B, mandible palp article 3; C, mandible incisor; D, robust seta,
manidible palp article 2; E, maxillule; F, maxillule apex; G, maxilla; H, maxilla apex; I, maxilliped; J, maxilliped articles 2–5;
K, largest seta, maxilliped palp article 5.
margin weakly convex, with 2 RS; mesial margin
weakly convex, with 4 RS.
maLe: Not known.
size: Female 3 mm.
Variation: Most pleotelson robust setae are missing
although the sockets are clearly distinct. The apices of
the uropodal rami and the pleotelson are all damaged,
and while counts appeared the same for all margins,
the numbers can be regarded only as estimates.
remarks: Although similar to the sympatric Aegiochus
piihuka sp. nov., Aegiochus tara sp. nov. is readily iden-
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tified by the large but separate eyes, small distal lobe
on the propodus of pereopods –3, that lobe bearing
a prominent robust seta, the acute and laterally expressed
coxal plates, the sinuate margins to the pleotelson,
the apex of which is relatively strongly produced,
and also the proximal one-third of the lateral margin
of the uropodal exopod is devoid of setae.
Aegiochus plebeia (Hansen, 890), a species of uncertain
distribution (see p. 238), is also similar. Examination
of the types shows that A. tara has a much narrower
uropod exopod, terminally more acute pleotelson apex,
smaller distal robust seta on the propodus of pereopods
–3 and the coxae are strongly splayed and acute (not
splayed and posteriorly produced as in A. plebeia).