By: Norman Ali Khalaf-von Jaffa
*Note: This article was published in Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. No.43. July 2005.
Amphipod crustaceans are peracarid crustaceans, typically ranging in size from 2 to 50 mm, although a few may be larger. Amphipods are common in aquatic ecosystems throughout many parts of the world, inhabiting marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. A few species also live in terrestrial ecosystems. The order Amphipoda, which contains nearly 7,000 described species, is divided into three and sometimes four suborders: Gammaridea, Caprellidea, Hyperiidea, and Ingolfiellidea. The latter, however, are probably highly specialized gammarideans and therefore do not merit recognition as a suborder.
Gammaridea, with more than 5500 described species, is not only the largest amphipod suborder but also contains all of the freshwater and subterranean taxa. Approximately 21 superfamily groups, 95 families (or family groups) and more than 1000 genera are recognized within this suborder.
The amphipod fauna of the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean region is arguably one of the best known in the world seas. By the end of the nineteenth century, a very firm base of amphipod taxonomy had been established in the region by G.O. Sars (1895) and Antonio Della Valle (1893). In the early twentieth century, works by Chevreux and Fage (1925), Stephensen (1942), Schellenberg (1942) and in the later half of the century by Lincoln (1979) and Ruffo et. al. (1982, 1989, 1993 and 1998) has all helped to put the fauna on a firm basis. Despite this fact, the identification of amphipods remains difficult for non specialists and a great need exists for easily useable interactive keys to the species.
The work on the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean amphipods is being carried out at the Environmental Research Institute of University College, Cork, funded by the Higher Education Authority of Ireland.
The number of described species of amphipod in the region is in excess of 800 in over 70 Families. One of the species living in the eastern Mediterranean, off the Coast of Palestine, is the Jaffa Amphipod (Ampelisca jaffaensis, Bellan-Santini & Kaim-Malka, 1977) from Jaffa, Palestine.
The Taxonomic Position of the species Ampelisca jaffaensis:
Phylum: Arthropoda.
Class: Crustacea.
Subclass: Malacostraca.
Order: Amphipoda.
Suborder: Gammaridea.
Family: Ampeliscidae.
Genus: Ampelisca.
Species: Jaffaensis.
Species Reference: Ampelisca jaffaensis, Bellan-Santini & Kaim-Malka, 1977:511, pl. 13. & Bellan-Santini, 1982:31, fig. 21.
Type material: HOLOTYPE: Station Marine d'Endoume collection.
Type locality: Jaffa-Tel Aviv, Palestine.
Description: Based on Bellan-Santini, 1982:31, fig. 21., female, 5 mm.
Head longer than deep, projecting anterodorsally above antenna 1, distal margin truncate, anteroventral margin convex; rostrum absent; lenses present, with two pairs of cuticular lenses. Antenna 1 short, distinctly longer than peduncle of antenna 2, peduncular article 2 short (less than 1.5 x length of article 1) or peduncular article 2 long (about 1.5 to 2.5 x length of article 1). Antenna 2 about as long as or longer than body length. Pereon. Coxa 1 to 3 without posteroventral spines. Gnathopod 1 coxa similar length to coxa 2 and 3, expanded distally, distally rounded; propodus anterior margin with sparse setae, propodus palm weakly developed; dactylus half or less length of propodus. Pereopod 4 dactylus significantly longer than carpus and propodus combined. Pereopod 5 carpus long, about 3 x as long as broad, slightly or not produced along posterior margin of propodus. Pereopod 7 basis strongly expanded posteriorly, expanded distally past distal end of ischium, oblique, widest distally, distal margin densely setose, free anterior margin lacking setae near junction with ischium, without robust setae on lateral surface; ischium longer than merus; merus anterior lobe slightly produced along anterior margin of carpus, merus posterior lobe absent; carpus short (about as long as broad), carpus anterior and posterior lobes not extending around propodus, carpus anterior lobe not produced; propodus not long (about 1.5 x as long as broad) or long (greater than 2 x as long as broad), propodus not inflated (laterally parallel), propodus similar width to carpus; dactylus broad at base, tapering distally, dactylus shorter than propodus. Pleon. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin straight, not bisinuate, corner without spine, corner rounded. Urosomite 1 dorsal margin dorsodistally rounded. Uropod 1 rami subequal. Uropod 2 rami equal to slightly subequal; inner ramus with one dorsal row of short robust setae; outer ramus without large subterminal robust setae. Uropod 3 inner ramus smooth; outer ramus smooth, outer ramus broadest at first third length. Telson longer than broad, deeply cleft, more than 66%, dorsal surface with robust setae, distal margin acute, with setae.
Habitat: Marine; ecology unknown.
Depth: Continental shelf (30 to 200 m).
Remarks: Male unknown.
Distribution: Mediterranean endemic.
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Author & Webmaster: Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa. (2005).
