Description of Female

Antennae. First: Flagellum of 8 segments Second: Flagellum of about 27 segments, not as stout as male.

Gnathopods. First: Ischium subrectangular, spined posteriorly. Merus longer Propod narrowing to dactylos, little more than ½ carpus anterior margin length. Dactylos more than ½ propod, strong spine on anterodistal angle of propod, spine rather dactylos-like. Second: Basos margins and surface spined; ischium about ½ basos length, narrower than long, margins spined. Merus as large, surface strongly spined; anterior margin contiguous with proximal ⅓ of carpus posterior margin. Carpus nearly three times merus length, spines on anterior margin, a few distally on scabrous posterior. Propod ovate, slightly shorter than carpus, posterior surface produced in scabrous pellucid lobe past small oblique palm and short curved dactylos; many small spines across surface medially from posteroproximal angle to palm; palm has about 10 small spines, about 5 spines at dactylos outer base.

Peraeopods. Third to fifth not as profusely spined as in male in distal segments.

Localities. Lyall Bay, Wellington, coll. W. H. Dawbin. 1947 (hypotypes): Orouiti Beach, East Coast, coll. January, 1951, D. E. H.; Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula, ocean side of dunes, 9 males, 4 females, up to 20 mm, 6 November, 1953, coll. D. E. H.; Kaikorai Stream mouth, seaward side, Dunedin, October, 1953, coll. D. E. H.; Brighton Beach, Dunedin. October, 1953, coll. D. E. H.; “sandy beaches all round New Zealand”, Chilton (1917); “found on all the ocean sand beaches of New Zealand which have been examined, from Spirits Bay, North Auckland, to Oreti Beach, Invercargill”, McIntyre (unpublished MSS.).

Hypotypes. Slides 1 (male), 5 (female), personal collection.

Remarks. Thomson (1899) gives full New Zealand references for this species to that date. The species is notable for its profuse and strong spination. Adult males are easily distinguished by the shape of the second gnathopod. the absence of thickening or dilation of the 4th and 5th peraeopods, and the thickening of the second antennae peduncle segments.