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Description of Male
Length, 9 mm; depth, 5 mm; width, 5¼ mm. Colour in spirit, orange-yellow Body very tumid. Like T. cookii except for following characteristics.
Antennae. First: Reaches just past end of 4th segment of antenna 2 peduncle. Flagellum of 6 segments. Second: Flagellum of about 17 segments in male, 15 in female.
Gnathopods. First: Free portion of carpus posterior margin strongly spined, slightly convex, lacks pellucid process. Second: Sideplate deeper than wide, margins subparallel Basos slightly concave, width ¼ length, margins spined. Ischium ⅓ basos length, 3 or 4 spines on posterior margin, a few minute spines on surface, anterior margin distally expanded in convex lobe. Merus small, about ⅔ carpus length; masked by ischium so as to appear V-shaped, a few minute spines on posterior margin; anterior margin contiguous with equally small cup-shaped carpus. Propod anterior margin convex, as long as basos; greatest width about ¾ length; more ovate than in T. cookii; posterior free margin very short, less than ½ anterior margin; oblique palm has conical tooth near inside hinge of dactylos, tooth has “coronet” of spines; palm then deeply excavate ⅓ of length, outer ⅓ of palm raised in strongly spined convex margin. Dactylos as long as palm, curved, strongly thickened ½ along inner margin opposite median concavity of palm; tip impinging on palm in shallow granulated groove.
Peraeopods. Second: Like T. cookii but anterior angle of sideplate very sharp. Third: Sideplate anterior lobe as large as posterior, neither reaching more than ½ down basos. Anterior lobe lacks spines; posterior has about 8 on anterior and end margins, 2 or 3 minute spines on posterior. Fourth: Basos much wider distally, greatest width more than ¾ length; length ¾ basos. Carpus as wide as long, more than ½ basos length; anterior margin has 4 corrugations, each with group of small spines; posterior margin V-shaped; proximal portion without spines, is slightly shorter than distal portion, a few minute spines on distal portion and surface, 2 long spines on distal angle. Propod slightly longer than merus.
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Text-fig. 5.—Talorchestia tumida G. M. Thomson. 49—Gnathopod 1, male. 50—Gnathopod 1, female. 51—Gnathopod 2, male. 52—Gnathopod 2, immature male. 53—Gnathopod 2 sideplate, female. 54—Gnathopod 2 carpus and merus, female 55—Peraeopod 1, female. 56—Peraeopod 2. 57—Peraeopod 3. 58—Peraeopod 4, male. 59—Peraeopod 4, carpus of immature male. 60—Peraeopod 5 basos.
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Epimeral Plates. First: Ovate, anterior margin rounding almost imperceptibly to posterior; about 6 strong spines on anterior margin, a few on surface; posterodistal angle has strong spine; posterior margin convex, has 2 or 3 minute spines. Second: Deeper than wide, anterior margin rounding to ventral, about 12 strong marginal spines; posterodistal angle not pronounced; posterior margin slightly convex, has about 5 small to minute spines. Third: Shallow, anterior margin rounding to ventral, has about 4 spines; posterodistal angle reasonably distinct, a few small or minute spines on posterior margin.
Pleopods. Peduncle outer margin spined, throughout length in 1st, to lesser degree in 2nd and 3rd, all spined proximally on surface; 1st has about 6 small stout spines on inner margin proximally; 2 coupling spines; inner ramus the longer; outer margin of outer ramus has 2–5 small stout spines proximally, inner margin of inner ramus 1 or 2 spines; rami have about 10 segments; each with pair of plumose setae.
Uropods First: Peduncle longer than rami; both dorsal margins strongly spined; numerous spines on ventral margin. Inner ramus has about 6 long spines on each dorsal margin, 4 end spines; outer about 5 each long marginal and 2 short end spines. Second: Rami as long as peduncle, peduncle outer dorsal margin has about 3 strong spines, surface has numerous small spines, a few on inner margin; inner ramus has about 14 spines dorsally and at end; outer about 7 marginal and end spines. Third: Peduncle has 4–5 small dorsal spines; ramus longer, narrower, cylindrical; about 14 short and long spines on end and upper distal margin.