Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea): new family, generic and species synonymies, three new Australian species, and new records

Abstract

Poore, G.C.B. and Collins, D.J. 2015. Micheleidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea): new family, generic and species synonymies, three new Australian species, and new records. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 73: 95–105. The Micheleidae are shown to include all taxa previously separated as Meticonaxiidae. A revised key to genera, Marcusiaxius, Meticonaxius, Tethisea and Michelea is presented. Meteoraxius Sakai and Türkay, 2012 is synonymised with Meticonaxius de Man, 1905. Micheleopsis Sakai, 2010 is synonymised with Michelea Kensley and Heard, 1991; among other quite trivial differences, the genus had been differentiated on a simple form of the male pleopod 1, suspected to be a juvenile feature and/or lacking merit as a generic character. Three new species, Michelea kalbarri, M. imperieusae and Tethisea alanwilliamsi are described. Michelea kalbarri is unique in its genus in lacking pleopodal lamellae. Michelea novaecaledoniae Poore, 1997 is added to the Australian fauna. Michelea paraleura is synonymised with M. leura.