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The Amphipod Sibling Pair Leucothoe Lilljeborgi and L. Incisa in British and Irish Waters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

A. A. Myers  and
M. J. Costello
A. A. Myers
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University College, Cork, Ireland
M. J. Costello
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University College, Cork, Ireland
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Extract

Krapp-Schickel (1975) described three closely related species of Leucothoe Leach, which together make up a Leucothoe lilljeborgi species complex (L. lilljeborgi Boeck, L. incisa Robertson, L. occulta Krapp-Schickel) in European waters. Of these, the two species L. lilljeborgi and L. incisa have caused considerable problems to taxonomists. As pointed out by Lincoln (1979), ‘There has been a lot of confusion over the identification of lilljeborgi and incisa and it would be advisable to treat earlier records with caution.’ Despite Lincoln's (1979) work, however, the problem persists, several workers (P. G. Moore & J. M. C. Holmes, personal communications) having noted forms apparently intermediate between these two species.

In order to clarify the situation, we have examined material from localities in Ireland and Britain. It is clear that the existence of apparent ‘intermediates’ is due to unfortunate choice of key characters by Lincoln, one of which requires phase contrast microscopy for correct determination. In his key to species of Leucothoe (1979, p. 172) he separates the two species by the anterodistal margin of coxa 4 being either angular (lilljeborgi) or rounded (incisa) and by the inner margin of the gnathopod 1 carpal process being either toothed (incisa) or smooth (lilljeborgi) (although in the description of L. lilljeborgi (p. 176) this process is described as weakly crenulate). Thus specimens with toothed gnathopod 1 carpal process and angular coxa 4 anterodistal margin, appear to be intermediate. It is apparent from our studies, that both L. lilljeborgi and L. incisa have a toothed gnathopod 1 carpal process, but that the structure of the teeth is quite different as revealed by phase contrast microscopy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , February 1986 , pp. 75 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1986

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