Tomituka eumilli Hughes 2009, sp. nov.

Tomituka eumilli sp. nov.

(Figs 3, 4)

Type material. Holotype, male (dissected), 1A, 4.5 mm, 3 slides, AM P75492, reef front, northern-most bay, Fantome Island (~ 18°41'10''S 146°31'08''E), sand sample, 3 m, J.D. Thomas, 14 February 1989 (JDT/ OPH 11). Paratypes: female, 1B, 5.6 mm, 3 slides, AM P75493, same station data; 14 specimens (4 males, 10 females), AM P75494, same station data.

Type locality. Reef front, northern-most bay, Fantome Island, Queensland, Australia (~ 18°41'10''S 146°31'08''E).

Etymology. Eumilli is the indigenous name for Fantome Island, the type locality.

Description. Based on holotype, male, 4.5 mm, AM P75492.

Head. Head with lateral keel; rostrum without apical constriction. Eyes present. Antennae 1 article 2 elongate, greater than 1.1 times article 1; flagellum with 6 articles; accessory flagellum 2-articulate. Antennae 2 brush setae present (in male); flagellum with 39 articles. Upper lip subovoid, apically rounded. Mandible accessory setal row absent; mandibular molar subovoid, large, (covering more than 1/2 of medial surface); mandibular palp article 2 subequal to article 3, article 2 with 1 seta, article 3 with apical and medial setae. Lower lip mandibular lobes weakly produced, apically rounded, with lobes directed posteriorly. Maxilla 1 palp short, extending to end of outer plate, with 3 apical setae; inner plate setae absent. Maxilla 2 outer plate with many apical setae; inner plate with many apical setae. Maxilliped dactylus well developed, articulate.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 chelate; coxa large, similar in size to coxa 2, broader than long, anterior margin produced, apically rounded; carpus longer than propodus, around six times as long as broad; propodus about three times as long as broad, chela short, obtuse projection broader than long. Gnathopod 2 chelate; carpus longer than propodus, six times as long as broad; propodus about three times as long as broad, chela short, obtuse projection broader than long. Pereopods 3–4 articles rectolinear; dactylus simple, long, more than half the length of the propodus. Pereopod 3 coxa expanded distally. Pereopod 4 coxa anterodistal margin not produced, posteroventral lobe absent. Pereopod 5 coxa posterior lobe anterior margin diagonal; basis slightly longer than broad, posterodistal lobe well developed. Pereopod 6 coxa posterior lobe long, extending more than half the length of the basis, with robust setae; basis subovoid; merus about as broad as long. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin acutely produced; carpus 2 times as long as broad; propodus 5 times as long as broad; dactylus short, less than half the length of the propodus.

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal teeth. Epimeron 1 posterodistal corner rounded. Epimeron 2 posterodistal corner with well developed tooth, posteroventral margin without notch. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner with well developed tooth; posteroventral margin with notch above distal tooth. Uropod 1 peduncle with 7 robust setae. Uropod 2 peduncle with 4 robust setae; inner ramus shorter than outer ramus. Uropod 3 outer ramus article 2 slender, with 4 sets of lateral robust setae. Telson moderately cleft, with dorsofacial robust setae, lateral robust setae present, with 2 pairs of apices, apices subequal.

Habitat. Sublittoral sandy bottoms.

Remarks. Tomituka eumilli sp. nov. can be differentiated from T. doowi Barnard & Drummond, 1979 by the unconstricted rostrum, which is strongly constricted in T. doowi. The accessory flagellum is 2-articulate in T. eumilli sp. nov. and 8-articulate in T. doowi. The maxilliped, mandibular palp article 2, maxilla 1 palp and maxilla 2 are less setose than those of T. doowi. In T. eumilli. there is no accessory setal row on the left or right mandible. In Tomituka doowi there are three setae in the accessory setal row and a large grinding surface on the adjacent to the incisor, which is not present on T. eumilli sp. nov.

In Tomituka eumilli the telson has less robust setae and is not as cleft as in T. doowi. The uropod 3 outer ramus article 2 in Tomituka eumilli is more robust and has lateral robust setae, than the article 2 of T. doowi, which is slender and without setae.

Distribution. Australia. Queensland: Lizard Island; Fantome Island; Orpheus Island (current study).