Huonella Hughes, 2016, gen. nov.

Huonella gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Head anteroventral corner with notch; eyes ovate. Antenna 1 accessory flagellum long, near half length of primary flagellum. Mandibular palp article 1 without acutely produced distal corner; article 2 length similar to article 3; article 3 rectilinear with apical setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate with mainly apical robust setae. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner produced acute; propodus palm subacute. Gnathopod 2 propodus enlarged and symmetrical; palm angle subacute (greater than 90 degrees); dactylus anterior margin with 1 seta. Pereopod 4 coxa without posterodistal lobe. Pereopods 5–7 dactyli simple. Pleonites and Urosomites dorsally smooth. Epimera 2–3 posterior and ventral margins smooth. Uropod 3 rami unequal in length; inner ramus length 0.4 times outer ramus; outer ramus 2 articulate, length 3.7 times peduncle, length more than 2.5 times width, article 2 minute, vestigial. Telson deeply cleft, lobes apically convex, with subapical robust setae, without inner or lateral robust setae.

Etymology. Named from the type locality, gender neuter.

Type species. Huonella huonensis sp. nov. original designation.

Remarks. Huonella gen. nov. is distinguished within the Maeridae by the inner ramus much shorter than outer ramus. The genus is not placed in the Melitidae, with other Hadzioidea which have a reduced inner ramus, as the reduced vestigial inner ramus of the Melitidae is unlike the well-developed inner ramus of Huonella gen. nov., where the inner ramus is short only by comparison to the greatly elongate outer ramus (length 7.6 × width). The two articulate outer ramus of uropod 3 seen in Huonella gen. nov. also occurs in Maeridae (Austromaera) and Melitidae (most genera).

Huonella is closely aligned with Ceradocus and Linguimaera based on the long accessory flagellum, asymmetrical male propodus palms of gnathopod 2 and elongate uropod 3 peduncle and rami.