Three species of the family Aoridae Stebbing, 1899 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) collected from remote islands in southern Japan, with a key to all Japanese species of the family

Abstract

Three species of the aorid amphipod were collected from remote islands in southern Japan. Protolembos ryukyuensis sp. nov. was collected from Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture and Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, and characterized by the dense plumose setae on the male gnathopods 1 and 2. Tethylembos cavatus sp. nov. and T. japonicus Ariyama, 2004 were collected from Miyake Island and the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo Prefecture, respectively. Both species share the male gnathopod 1 propodus heavily setose medially; however, Tethylembos cavatus can be distinguished from T. japonicus in the excavated basis of the male pereopod 5. Keys to species of Protolembos Myers, 1988 and Tethylembos Myers, 1988 in the world and a key to all Japanese species of the family Aoridae are provided. Number of aorid species in Japan stands at 34.