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

smoothly curved rather than sinuate (as figured by
Harger 883), the presence of a blunt distinct caudomedial
point (v. acute), and the uropods not extending
beyond the posterior margin of the pleotelson (v.
extending beyond the posterior of the pleotelson).
The figures given by Kensley and Cartes (2003) show
considerable variation in these characters, some of
which appear similar to those of S. springthorpei, and
furthermore the shape of the uropodal rami is near
identical in both species. The pereopods differ in
S. springthorpei having robust setae on the inferior
margins of pereopods 4–7, these being absent in
S. infelix (Kensley 2004).
The type locality for S. infelix is Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
northwestern North Atlantic, and without
detailed reassessment of S. infelix based on the type
material and from specimens collected geographically
nearby, it is not possible to say if the western Atlantic
species is the same as the eastern Atlantic material
recorded under that name by Kensley and Cartes
(2003), although the figured shapes of the pleotelson
of western Atlantic and Mediterranean specimens do
differ considerably.
prey: Not known.
distribution: In New Zealand known only from the
single specimen of uncertain locality; previous record
from off New South Wales, Australia.
Syscenus sp.
materiaL examined: ♂ (23 mm), east of Mahia Peninsula,
29 September 989, 39°40.5–43.5’S, 78°09.2–07.2’E,
764–843 m, coll. RV James Cook (NMNZ Cr. 20 3).
remarks: This specimen has one conspicuous and
unique character — the superior distal angle of the
ischium of pereopods 4–6 is strongly produced, over-
iding the merus. Other character states include: dactylus
of pereopods –3 longer than in S. springthorpei. The
pleotelson and uropods are damaged, but the uropods
do exceed the posterior margin of the pleotelson. The
anterior of the head is ‘short’, the frontal lamina is
anteriorly rounded; the antennule flagellum extends
to anterior of pereonite 1, with a robust flagellum, the
antennal flagellum extends to the posterior of pereonite
4 (or anterior of 5) and the dorsum vaulted. The specimen
is clearly an undescribed species, but is in poor
condition, and at least one undamaged specimen is
needed before it can be adequately characterised.
2 0
uNcErtAIN stAtus Or rEcOrds
Aega cyclops Haswell, 88
Aega cyclops Haswell, 88 : 92; 882: 285.– Hale, 925: 80,
fig. 26; 1926: 233, fig. 20; 1937: 18; 1940: 298.– Bruce,
983: 769, fig. 7O.– Springthorpe & Lowry, 994:
43.–Bruce, Lew Ton & Poore, 2002: 6 .
Aega (Rhamphion) cyclops.– Brusca, 983: .
materiaL examined: “Possible syntype”; labelled as type
by A.R. McCulloch, 905. ♂ ( 0.3 mm), Port Jackson,
NSW, Australia (AM G5326).
[Roger Springthorpe (Australian Museum, Sydney) states,
in correspondence, that this specimen cannot be identified
as the holotype with any degree of certainty. Haswell
( 88 ) did not designate types and did not mention how
many specimens he used in the original description.
Hale ( 925) redescribed this specimen and assumed
that it was the ‘type’ probably because McCulloch, in
his somewhat cavalier fashion, had labelled it as such.
Haswell’s original description lacks detail, for example
it not mentioning the damaged pleotelson that Hale
described. This specimen is similar in length to the
original and may be a syntype. The origin of much of the
Old Collection labelled as type material is confounded. It
cannot be shown that this material was used by Haswell
in his original descriptions. Material from Port Jackson,
and some Queensland localities, for example, may have
been collected after the date of publication by others such
as Whitelegge, McCulloch, and Hedley.]
remarks: Despite being relatively widely recorded
(Hale 925, 926, 937, 940) off the coast of southeastern
Australia the species remains poorly known
and characterised. The holotype, a dry and dissected
specimen, is held at the Australian Museum. All pereopods
have lost their distal articles, and the uropods
and pleotelson had been damaged and regrown prior
to collection. There are two slides with an entire pereopod
, pereopod 7, maxilliped and appendix masculina
(detached from the pleopod). From this material there
are several characteristics which distinguish Aega
cyclops, these being the medially fused penial processes
(a defining character state for Epulaega), the huge
eyes with a very small posterior clear field, the short
and smoothly curved dactylus on pereopod and the
small, ovate frontal lamina. No other species has this
combination of characters.
Hale ( 926) reported the species from ‘South-east
of Sydney, in “New Zealand area,” 75 faths.’ However,
that species seems more likely to be Aegiochus coroo
(Bruce, 1983) given the large posterior clear field on the
head (Hale, 1926, figure 20), and that the record was
provisionally included in the synonymy for that species
by Bruce ( 983). Hale ( 940) later reported several
more localities in southeastern Australia for A. cyclops,
but those records are here regarded as unconfirmed. A