122 



short, slightly projecting beyond the anterior margin of the head. Anten- 

 nae II are slightly shorter than antennae I; the 2nd segment of the pedun- 

 cle bulges in the form of a vesicle. The antennal gland is very large. 



The mandibular palp is weak. Pereopods III and V have a subchela 

 formed by the amygdaloid 6th segment and strong curved claw. 



Type species: Microphasma agassizi Woltereck, 1909. 



1. Microphasma agassizi Woltereck, 1909 (Fig. 41) 



Woltereck, 1909: 153; Pirlot, 1930: 52; Stephenseri and Pirlot, 1931: 

 539; Shoemaker, 1945a: 218. 



Length of sexually mature female up to 8 mm, male up to 6 mm. 



The color of an unfixed animal is cherry-red. 



Antennae I are longer than the pereon somite I, in males longer and 

 thicker than in females. 



Mandibles with a short body and a broad cutting edge; the weak three- 

 segmented palp is equal in length to the body of the mandible, its 



distally narrowing 3rd segment slightly shorter than the 2nd. The outer 

 lobe of maxillae I is broad and armed with 4-5 strong spines; the inner 

 lobe is broad with a truncated distal margin. The lobes of maxillae II are 

 nearly equal in length and breadth. The outer lobe of the maxillipeds is 

 oblong-ovate, and armed with setae; the inner lobe is well developed. 



Pereopods I have a distally broadening triangular 5th segment equal in 

 length to the conical 6th segment; the claw very slightly exceeds the length 

 of the 6th segment. Pereopods II are slightly longer than pereopods I, their 

 6th segment longer than the 5th and slighdy curved. Pereopods III and IV 

 are equal in length and identical in structure, longer and stronger than the 

 preceding and succeeding pereopods, their 2nd segment nearly equal to the 

 4th and 5th segments together; the amygdaloid broad 6th segment is equal 

 to the 2nd, with a well-developed smooth palmate margin armed with a 

 107 few strong spines; the strongly curved claw is equal in length or slightly 

 shorter than the palmate margin and forms a subchela with it. Pereopods V 

 are shorter than pereopods III and IV and almost identical in structure; the 

 palmate margin of the 6th segment is shorter, steeper, and armed with 

 still shorter spines; the length of the claw exceeds the width of the 6th 

 segment. Pereopods VI are shorter than pereopods V; the 2nd segment is 

 longer than the 4th and 5th together, which in turn are almost equal to the 

 distally narrowing 6th segment; the strong claw is 1/2 the lengh of the 6th 

 segment. Pereopods VII are still shorter; the 2nd segment is equal to the 

 6th or 4th and 5th together; the claw is long, strong and slightly curved. 



The uropods have narrowly lanceolate rami. The rounded-triangular, 

 sometimes almost hemispherical telson reaches half the length of the 

 basipodite of uropods III. 



Distribution: Northern and tropical part of the Atlantic ocean (Bay 

 of Biscay, near Madeira Island, among the Azores and Bermuda Islands); 



