6.4 Paramollicia rhynchena Miiller, 1906
Conchoecia rhynchena Miiller, 1906a: p. 113,
pl. 26 figs. 17-25 - Angel, 1981: p. 559, fig. 194/79
- Deevey, 1982: p. 160.
Paramollicia rhynchena Poulsen, 1973: pp. 176179, figs. 91, 92.
Conchoecia (Paramollicia) rhynchena Deevey,
1978: p. 64.
Carapace length -
females: 2.48 mm
males: 2.35 mm
Female. Carapace large and subrectangular;
height slightly less than 1/2 the length, greatest
height posterior; rostrum curved; incisure rather broad and shallow; dorsal margin straight below the shoulders; posterior margin weakly convex; ventral margin nearly straight and sloping
backwards slightly towards the anterior. Shell
sculpture consists of several very distinct ventral
striae, which run parallel to the margin from the
incisur almost to the posteroventral edge, with
fine reticules between them; remainder of shell
smooth or weakly ornamented. Asymmetric
glands at the usuallocations; lateral corner and
dorsomedial glands present (note that both sexes have dorsomedial glands in this genus); medial glands occur along the inner posterior margin. Cap of the frontal organ jointed onto the
stern and produced distallywhere it is subacuminate; ornamented with numerous stiffhairs, except distally. Al with a long dorsal bristle and 5
end bristles; one of these is long and weakly
spinulose, the 4 others are short, sensory 'pipe'
bristles.
Male. Carapace similar to that of the female, but
smaller. Cap of the frontal organ jointed from the
stern and expanded basally but narrowed distally; ornamented with numerous stiffhairs, except
distally. Al with 5 end bristles; of these, the chief
('e') bristle is adorned with a double row of numerous small blade-like backwards-directed
spines, the 'b' bristle is about as long and carries
a short thickened extension, the 'd' bristle is
spinulose, the 'a' bristle is long and reflexed, and
the 'c' bristle is a short 'pipe' bristle. The A2
clasping joints are dimorphic; the right is larger,
right-angled at the elbow then strongly recurved, basally it has 2 small protuberances; the
smaller left clasping joint is bent backwards at
the elbow and only slightly recurved. Penis large,
with parallel sides and an obliquely truncate tip;
about 7 transverse muscle bands; seminal tube
simple and rather wide.
Remarks
This is a striking and large species, easily recognized by the prominent striations parallel to the
ventral margin and the rather elongate lateral
profile. In size, our specimens are about in the
middle ofthe range cited by Angel (1981), viz. females 2.3-2.9 mm, males 2.2-2.6 mm.
Distribution
Angel ( 1981) regards this by and large as a mesopelagic and transoceanic species. Poulsen ( 1973,
fig. 92) records it from the eastern Atlantic,
northern Indian and southwestern Pacific
Oceans. Deevey (1982) gives the latitudinal
range as 60°N to 46°S in the Atlantic, and to 49°S
Conchoecia rhynchena Miiller, 1906a: p. 113,
pl. 26 figs. 17-25 - Angel, 1981: p. 559, fig. 194/79
- Deevey, 1982: p. 160.
Paramollicia rhynchena Poulsen, 1973: pp. 176179, figs. 91, 92.
Conchoecia (Paramollicia) rhynchena Deevey,
1978: p. 64.
Carapace length -
females: 2.48 mm
males: 2.35 mm
Female. Carapace large and subrectangular;
height slightly less than 1/2 the length, greatest
height posterior; rostrum curved; incisure rather broad and shallow; dorsal margin straight below the shoulders; posterior margin weakly convex; ventral margin nearly straight and sloping
backwards slightly towards the anterior. Shell
sculpture consists of several very distinct ventral
striae, which run parallel to the margin from the
incisur almost to the posteroventral edge, with
fine reticules between them; remainder of shell
smooth or weakly ornamented. Asymmetric
glands at the usuallocations; lateral corner and
dorsomedial glands present (note that both sexes have dorsomedial glands in this genus); medial glands occur along the inner posterior margin. Cap of the frontal organ jointed onto the
stern and produced distallywhere it is subacuminate; ornamented with numerous stiffhairs, except distally. Al with a long dorsal bristle and 5
end bristles; one of these is long and weakly
spinulose, the 4 others are short, sensory 'pipe'
bristles.
Male. Carapace similar to that of the female, but
smaller. Cap of the frontal organ jointed from the
stern and expanded basally but narrowed distally; ornamented with numerous stiffhairs, except
distally. Al with 5 end bristles; of these, the chief
('e') bristle is adorned with a double row of numerous small blade-like backwards-directed
spines, the 'b' bristle is about as long and carries
a short thickened extension, the 'd' bristle is
spinulose, the 'a' bristle is long and reflexed, and
the 'c' bristle is a short 'pipe' bristle. The A2
clasping joints are dimorphic; the right is larger,
right-angled at the elbow then strongly recurved, basally it has 2 small protuberances; the
smaller left clasping joint is bent backwards at
the elbow and only slightly recurved. Penis large,
with parallel sides and an obliquely truncate tip;
about 7 transverse muscle bands; seminal tube
simple and rather wide.
Remarks
This is a striking and large species, easily recognized by the prominent striations parallel to the
ventral margin and the rather elongate lateral
profile. In size, our specimens are about in the
middle ofthe range cited by Angel (1981), viz. females 2.3-2.9 mm, males 2.2-2.6 mm.
Distribution
Angel ( 1981) regards this by and large as a mesopelagic and transoceanic species. Poulsen ( 1973,
fig. 92) records it from the eastern Atlantic,
northern Indian and southwestern Pacific
Oceans. Deevey (1982) gives the latitudinal
range as 60°N to 46°S in the Atlantic, and to 49°S