Two Species of the Genus Melita (Crustacea : Amphipoda) from Brackish Waters in Japan

Abstract

Two species of the genus Melita, Melita setijlagella n. sp. and Melita shimizui (Ueno, 1940), are described from brackish waters in Japan. The former species is distinct in bearing the markedly setose flagellum of antenna 2. The latter has not so far been known from the Japanese waters, and shows variations in some characters, which distinguish the Japanese materials into three morphological "forms". Both species are also discernible from the other species of the genus Melita by the shape of male gnathopod 1 and female coxa 6.