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

Figure 32. Aega whanui sp. nov. Holotype. A, mandible; B, mandible palp article 3; C, maxillule apex; D, maxillule; E, maxilla;
F, maxilla apex; G, maxilliped articles 2–5.
size: Females at 49 to 59 mm.
Variation: The specimen from the Timor sea is less
wide ( .9 times as long as wide) than the holotype, has
black eyes, and the frontal lamina has a small median
point; each eye with ~ 8 transverse rows of ommatidia,
each row with ~ 2– 4 ommatidia.
remarks: Aega whanui sp. nov. is a large and notably
wide-bodied species, easily identified by the small
eyes, ovate body shape, long antennule flagellum,
short dactylus on pereopods –3 (about as long as
63
propodus), proportionally long basis on pereopods
–3 and setation of the pereopods and uropods. There
are no closely similar species. Aega whanui has an
unusual mandible morphology, with a near truncate
distal portion which has the incisor reduced to a small
triangular point. Whether this is also the case for the
male is unknown, but the mandible incisor has not
been shown to be sexually variable for any other aegid
species. The weakly developed eyes of the holotype is
presumably a preservation artefact.
prey: Not known.