Re-description of Chevalia aviculae Walker, 1904, five new species and new records of Chevaliidae from Australia and New Zealand (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda: Senticaudata)

Abstract

The amphipod family Chevaliidae Myers & Lowry, 2003 (Amphipoda: Senticaudata) contains two genera: Chevalia Walker, 1904 (13 species), and Bryoconversor Lörz, Myers & Gordon, 2014 (1 species). Chevalia is a marine genus with a cosmopolitan distribution in circumtropical and temperate waters. Prior to this study, records of Chevalia from Australian waters were limited. Here, we describe five new species of Chevalia from Australian waters, C. bardi sp. nov., C. burrewarra sp. nov., C. csiro sp. nov., C. freycinet sp. nov. and C. sprightly sp. nov. The original description of Chevalia aviculae no longer adequately defined the species and is redescribed based on syntypic material from East Cheval Paar, Sri Lanka. Additionally, new distribution records are provided for the New Zealand species Bryoconversor tutus Lörz, Myers & Gordon, 2014. Material reported is from both shallow and deep-water samples from 1–660 m depth. The prevalence of various gender and intersex states within specimens of chevaliids is discussed. An updated key to the 19 world species of Chevaliidae and a field guide to the seven known Australian and New Zealand species is provided.

Keywords

• taxonomy
• intersex
• identification key
• field guide