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Genus Nicea.
(Cat. Amphip. Crus. Brit. Mus., p. 51.)
Nicea egregia, sp. nov. Plate II., fig. 2.
Female.—Body much compressed dorsally; each segment of pereion raised into a crest which projects backwards over the succeeding segment; first three segments of pleon produced dorsally into crests rather more prominent than those on the segments of pereion. Crest of first segment of pleon extending along the dorsal surface of the cephalon and rising abruptly therefrom. Eye moderately large, round. Cephalon produced slightly upwards at the base of the upper antenna. Upper antenna shorter than the lower, peduncle of three joints nearly equal in length, decreasing slightly in size distally; flagellum about as long as the peduncle, each joint bearing long auditory cilia on its under side at the distal end. Peduncle of lower antenna with three joints visible, last two equal in length and considerably longer than the first, flagellum longer than the peduncle, setæ in short tufts at the end of each joint. First and second gnathopoda equal in size and similar in form; carpus long, sub-triangular, with setæ on its inner distal angle; propodos oblong not broader than carpus, palm slightly oblique, defined by a stout tooth, hairy. Coxæ about as deep as their respective segments. Pereiopoda subequal rather stout; meros expanded distally and produced anteriorly in the first two, posteriorly in the last three pereiopoda, each pereiopod with dactylos long strong and curved with a short seta arising on the inner margin towards the end. All the pereiopoda nearly free from setæ. Of the last three pairs of pleopoda, the first two reach to the same point slightly beyond the extremity of the body; the rami are about equal in length to the peduncles, and are provided with short strong teeth at the extremity and on their upper margins. Last pair of pleopoda apparently rudimentary, consisting of two joints rounded and perfectly free from setæ. Telson concave below, subrectangular, about as broad as long, rounded posteriorly, cleft about half-way down.
Male.—Differs in having the crests on segments of pereion not so prominent; first segment not produced so much along the head; second gnathopod when fully developed chelate, basos long and narrow, ischios and meros short, carpus apparently united with propodos, which is large and produced distally into a fixed finger against which the dactylos impinges, dactylos strong, rather blunt at end; the ends of both fingers setose. The first pair of gnathopoda same as those of female.
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Colour—various, greater part of body usually tinged with red but sometimes with blue, integument thick and more or less opaque.
Length about ¼ inch.
Hab. Lyttelton Harbour. On seaweed, usually at roots of Macrocystis.
This species is very peculiar in appearance and presents several points of interest.
The maxillipedes are shown in Pl. II., fig. 2 d. Both the basos and ischios bear plates, that of the former ending in two rounded teeth, that of the latter rounded at the end and with its inner edge setose, the meros has its distal portion produced externally in a rounded lobe past the extremity of the carpus, the propodos has its distal and inner margins setose, the setæ on the inner margin being minutely serrate; the dactylos is broad, subtriangular, and nearly free from setæ.
The peculiar chelate character of the second pair of gnathopoda of male appears to be acquired only in fully-developed individuals; in smaller specimens they are subchelate, with the palm transverse, as shown in fig. 2g; intermediate forms between this and the fully-developed form shown in fig. 2f are also found. At first sight the carpus appears to be absent; I believe that it is joined on to the propodos, but the evidence of this is not quite satisfactory. The sixth segment of the pleon appears to be absent, unless the part that I have described as the basal portion of the last pair of pleopoda represents the sixth segment itself; if this be the case, the last pleopod will be represented only by a single rounded joint; in either case it certainly bears the appearance of being rudimentary and useless.