Nine Species of the Genus Aoroides (Crustacea : Amphipoda : Aoridae) from Osaka Bay, Central Japan

Abstract

Nine species of the genus Aoroides were collected from coastal areas in Osaka Bay, central Japan. Among them, seven species were revealed to be new to science. Species collected are Aoroides columnaris sp. nov., A. curvipes sp. nov., A. ellipticus sp. nov., A. myojinensis sp. nov., A. punctatus sp. nov., A. rubellus sp. nov., A. semicurvatus sp. nov., A. longimerus Ren and Zheng, 1996, and A. secundus Gurjanova, 1938. All of them are described with notes on coloration in life and shape change of male gnathopods with growth. A key to species of Aoroides from Osaka Bay is provided. Each species is distinguishable from one another by the setal pattern of male gnathopod 1, the number of spines on the rami of uropod 3 and the body coloration, and further the habitat of each species differs in both depth and preferred substratum. Dispersal of Aoroides is discussed.