GAMMARIDEAN AMPHIPODA 173 



Lepidepecreum "i gurjanovae Hurley 



Figures 45, 46 

 ? Lepidepecreum gurjanovae Hurley, 1963, pp. 49-53, figs. 13, 14. 



This species differs from Lepidepecreum alectum Gurjanova (1962) 

 by the rounded, not acuminate dorsal processes of pleonites 3 and 4, 

 and the distinct, acute posterodorsal tooth of pleonite 1, but it re- 

 sembles L. alectum particularly in the hooked distal spines of pereopods 

 1-2. Lepidepecreum kasatka Gurjanova (1962) is another close relative 

 also having acute processes on pleonites 3 and 4. Lepidepecreum 

 vitjazi Gurjanova (1962) bears acute processes of pleonites 3-4 and 

 long, attenuated lateral cephalic lobes. 



Although it closely approximates L. eoum Gurjanova (see 1951 and 

 1962) the present material apparently differs by the presence of the 

 hooked spines on the distal ends of the sixth articles of pereopods 1-2. 

 Gnathopod 1 of L. eoum appears to be stouter and longer than in the 

 present species. 



The shallow water specimen at hand (station 41) differs from 

 Hurley's (1963) representation by the almost perfectly quadrate 

 third pleonal epimeron lacking any tooth, by the less acute dorsal 

 process of pleonite 4, by the presence of hooked spines of pereopods 

 1-2 which may be represented on Hurley's "Pr. 1" drawing of figure 

 14, by the acuminous palm of gnathopod 2, and the stronger serrations 

 on the posterior edges of the second articles of pereopods 3-5. 



The similarity of the present shallow water specimen to L. jor- 

 aminiferum Stebbing (1888) is remarkable, especially in the strongly 

 serrate pereopods 3-5, but apparently L. joraminijerum lacks the 

 hooked distal spines of pereopods 1-2. 



Specimens at hand from the Californian coastal shelf in depths of 

 15 to 135 m. differ from Hurley's type in 1720 m. by the flat- 

 topped, occasionally slightly rising dorsal edge of the process of 

 pleonite 4, the perfectly straight posterior edge, the rounded-quadrate 

 posteroventral corner of the third pleonal epimeron, and the very 

 slightly larger dorsal teeth of pleonites 1-2. Deep water specimens, 

 like that specimen of shallow water, have the large hooked spines of 

 pereopods 1-2, but they differ from the shallow water individual by 

 the nearly smooth edges of the second articles of pereopods 3-5 in 

 resemblance to Hurley's figures of L. gurjanovae. Three forms of this 

 lepidepecreum thus occur, Hurley's type drawings and the presently 

 reported deep and shallow water specimens. The latter two kinds are 

 assigned provisionally to L. gurjanovae until more materials from 

 depths of 0-15 and 135-1500 m. can be studied. 



Material. — goleta: Macroq/sfe-holdfast, 3 m., rare (1 specimen). 

 Southern Californian coastal shelf, 31 specimens in 18 samples, depths 



