Lubbockia aculeata Giesbrecht 1891

Lubbockia aculeata Giesbrech, 1891

Lubbockia aculeata Giesbrecht, 1891:477; 1892:606–611, pl. 48: figs. 3, 9, 11, 13, 16, 20.

Giesbrecht described Lubbockia aculeata from specimens collected in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (female, 2.30 mm; male, 2.35 mm).

Our specimens agree with the characters which Giesbrecht outlined for the species. Additional species in the genus now require more detailed comparisons, so we include figures of several features not emphasized by Giesbrecht.

MATERIAL STUDIED (Tables 1, 2).—ATLANTIC OCEAN, off Bahamas: 2 females, 1.90, 2.13 mm, TA 44. Near Florida: 2 females, 2.10, 2.36 mm, TA 45. PACIFIC OCEAN, near Philippine Islands: 1 female, 2.05 mm, TP 43.

FEMALE.—Average length about 2.09 mm. Body and all appendages with unusually thick exoskeleton. Rostrum with complex pattern of sclerotization and pointed posteroventral margin as shown in ventral view of cephalosome (Figure 10a).

Antenna 1 as in L. wilsonae.

Antenna 2 (Figure 10b) and mandible (Figure 10c) with armature similar in number to that of L. carinata.

Maxilliped similar to L. squillimana and L. wilsonae, with large dentiform processes on second segment, but L. aculeata with 1 large dentiform process on first segment (Figure 11a). First segment may have small spinules in addition to dentiform process (Figure 10a).

Leg 1 (Figure 11b) with inner spine on basis, third exopod segment with 2 short outer spines. Leg 2 (Figure 11c) third exopod segment with 2 short outer spines. Leg 3 (Figure 11d) inner edge of third endopod segment with 2 setae. Leg 4 (Figure 11e) inner edge of third endopod segment with 1 seta. Legs 2–4 endopods terminate with a vent between spines.

DISTRIBUTION.—Lubbockia aculeata has a definite tropical distribution, although a few specimens have been collected just outside tropical waters. Records and summaries are from the Pacific Ocean (Tables 1, 2; Giesbrecht, 1891; Farran, 1936; Björnberg, 1973); Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific (Sewell, 1947); Atlantic Ocean (Tables 1, 2; Cleve, 1904; Farran, 1926; Owre and Foyo, 1967; Vives, 1972); and the Mediterranean Sea (Razouls, 1974).